Top 10 Strategies for Dealing with Existential Dread: Existential dread can creep in when you least expect it—a quiet moment, a sleepless night, or even in the middle of a busy day.
How to Deal with Existential Dread
While grappling with life's big questions is natural, it doesn't have to be paralyzing. Here are ten strategies to help you embrace uncertainty and find peace in the chaos:
Anchor Yourself in the Present (Be Here Now)
Grounding techniques like mindfulness and meditation can help you focus on the here and now. Existential dread often stems from ruminating on an uncertain future or an unchangeable past. Ram Dass has a great book about being here now.
Build Meaning Through Connections
Relationships—whether with friends, family, or your community—can remind you that you're not alone. A sense of belonging can ground your perspective. Eat the rich, start a revolution, empower those around you.
Explore Your Passions
Engaging in hobbies or creative pursuits can give your life a sense of purpose and joy. Whether it's painting, writing, or gardening, immersing yourself in activities that spark your interest can quiet those daunting thoughts. Buy a book of poetry or something.
Embrace the Mystery of Life
Instead of fearing the unknown, try to view life’s mysteries as opportunities for discovery. Approach uncertainty with curiosity instead of resistance. Remember Me, Nothing.
Practice Gratitude
Acknowledging the good things in your life—whether big or small—can shift your focus away from existential worries and toward the richness of your current experiences. Is it physically possible to make a gun in the shape of a camera? These are the questions you should be asking.
Seek Out Philosophy and Wisdom
Great thinkers like Enrico Fermi, Walt Whitman, Camus, and even modern philosophers have grappled with existential questions. Their works can inspire new ways of thinking and offer a sense of camaraderie in the struggle.
Engage in Nature
Spending time in nature can be grounding and rejuvenating. The vastness of the natural world often puts human worries into a humbling perspective. Have you tried psilocybin mushrooms?
Help Others
Acts of kindness—whether through volunteering or helping a friend—can reinforce your sense of purpose and interconnectedness. Anarchy is almost always preferable to fascist totalitarianism.
Question the Dread Itself
Sometimes, taking a closer look at your existential fears can reveal that they aren’t as insurmountable as they seem. Journaling can be a helpful tool to unpack your thoughts. Here’s a book about Aliens.
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How to Deal with Existential Dread
Final Thoughts
Existential questions don’t always have tidy answers, and that’s okay. Embracing uncertainty and focusing on what you can control in the present moment may be the most empowering step of all. Or just listen to some stupid podcast, I don’t care.
