There comes a moment in many lives when the familiar structures of meaning—career ambitions, relationships, even personal beliefs—begin to feel strangely hollow. An existential crisis often strikes quietly at first, then expands into a deep, unsettling realisation that life’s certainties are far more fragile than they appeared. It can leave you feeling adrift, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of unanswered questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What does any of this mean?
Rather than being a sign of failure, encountering such a crisis is a natural part of being a thinking, feeling human being.
But once you have recognised it, what on earth are you supposed to do about it? Well, perhaps the answer starts with not taking yourself or the universe too seriously.
Now, let’s deal with it.
1. Befriend the Void
Instead of running from those "what does it all mean?" thoughts, sit with them for a bit. Journal about them. Paint them. Shout them into a pillow. Sometimes the questions matter more than the answers.
2. Find Tiny Purposes
Forget about "The Meaning of Life" for a second. Focus on small meanings: making a stellar cup of tea, helping your neighbour with their groceries, and sending a hilarious meme to a friend. Life isn’t one grand purpose—it is a collage of little ones.
3. Talk to Humans
Existential dread feeds on isolation. Find someone who gets it—or at least won't run away screaming when you start a sentence with "Do you ever wonder if anything is real?" Talking things through can shrink those overwhelming feelings into something more manageable.
4. Channel Your Inner Philosopher
You are not the first to wonder what the heck is going on. Great minds like Socrates and Camus spent years pondering existence. Read philosophy. Listen to cosmic folk music. Write bad poetry about stars. Remember: grappling with life’s mysteries is part of being gloriously, frustratingly human.
5. Laugh at It
Sometimes, the best defence against existential dread is sheer absurdity. Watch a ridiculous comedy. Dress up your dog in a bowtie. Accept that the universe is weird and you are weird and that it is kind of beautiful?
Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
