We’ll never know the answers, so why bother trying?” Joseph says. They decide nothing matters, so there’s no point to anything. If you feel you haven’t succeeded at achieving your life purpose, you might feel utterly adrift, which can become a different kind of problem, according to Joseph. Even temporary lapses, such as conflict with your partner or feeling as if you made a bad parenting decision, can lead to similar self-doubt. But life isn’t constant, and unfortunately, these parts of your identity can also change in a moment.ĭivorce, breakup, or loss through death can always trigger existential dread. Or maybe you’re a parent or romantic partner, and you define your purpose by your strength in these roles. No matter how chaotic life became, at least part of your identity was defined by your profession. Whatever that job was, it provided a set of activities, roles, and expectations that defined a significant portion of your daily life. The important thing to remember is this: Existential dread is normal.Įxistential dread often involves questioning your purpose in life, especially after a crisis disrupts your personal values or self-identity. “Asking yourself these questions, and feeling frustrated by your inability to answer them, is simply part of the human experience,” Joseph says. If you have a hard time accepting the unknown, it may help to remember that this is an incredibly normal experience. “We’re born into a world of things unknown, but with minds that don’t like to tolerate that,” Joseph explains. It’s part of the “flawed design,” so to speak, of the human mind. It may help to learn, though, that it’s not just you. When it comes to existential dread, however, reality doesn’t have much to offer in the way of concrete answers. But theoretically, you could get an answer any day now, which makes it a bit easier to sit with the uncertainty. Sure, you might have to wait or do some extra digging.

In both cases, you’ll eventually get answers. This might seem a little convoluted, but think about the last time you really wanted to know something - maybe the results of a contest you entered or your boss’s thoughts on the promotion you brought up. But to come to terms with that fact, you may have to simply accept that you can’t accept this lack of immediate answers, Joseph explains. Maybe the fact you can’t answer life’s largest questions doesn’t sit well with you. When it comes to existential dread, however, you might have to go a little deeper.

You can usually manage unwanted emotions (like worry, fear, or sadness) by accepting them as natural parts of life from time to time.

Having dark thoughts for no reason