Recently, there has been a tendency in people, especially teens, to share their mental problems on the Internet and social media, which is a good thing (at least, if you are surrounded by good people). A very highlighted problem among psychological issues is an “existential crisis“.
Fact 1: Existential crises are a pathetic experience.
An existential crisis is when someone starts questioning the meaning of life and becomes really concerned about mortality. It’s when an individual demonstrates certain words and a body language that indicates they are searching for more than life can provide. The unproductivity, however, of all these searches lead the individual to depression, hopelessness, gloom and inevitably they start asking “what’s the point?“ before leaving everything they start all-enthusiastically to a feeling of isolation. This post is written for such individuals and those who mean to help such individuals.
Fact 2: You’re not alone.
If you read the above and had a “dude-yeah-that’s-exactly-what’s-happening-with-me” feeling, remember, this whole feeling of emptiness and sadness for no evident reason has a name, it’s a concrete thing and it’s just like any other problem in the sense that it has a solution. You aren’t alone either. Psychologists have determined that there are a lot of things that can contribute to an existential crisis, and using too much of social media is one of them. So first things first, learn and practice fighting the urge of grabbing your phone and mindlessly browsing Instagram‘s explore feed. Stop. Look around. Hit up your friend or sibling to play a card game with you instead.
Number two, don’t lose your loved ones in the pursuit of spending time alone. Don’t do it. One of the many urges of an existential crisis is to be left alone when you really don’t want to be left alone and when you really don’t know if you want to be left alone or not. Let me tell you, that’s not what you want. Loneliness is your enemy’s best friend. It will summon thoughts you really don’t want to have. So allot time for entertainment with your friends or family. Enter “entertainment time” on your to-do list and stay true to it.
Number three, be in a clean environment. It’s scientifically proven that nervousness and anxiety is directly proportional to the untidiness of your surroundings. If your room is dirty and you have a few other things to do too, tidy up your room first. It will benefit your mind in thinking clearly and more than you can imagine.
Number four, start imagining. Imagine Stephen Hawking giving you advice on your problem. What would he say? Imagine that. Also, imagine giving advice to someone who’s going through the situation you are going through. Stand in front of the mirror and imagine you are a world known psychologist trying to motivate a group of people. Listen to motivational speeches to prepare your lecture if you have to. Trust me, you’ll feel much better.
Number five, learn to say “bye Felicia“. No, not to humans, to the thoughts that compare you with someone else, maybe a celebrity or a successful entrepreneur, or maybe the person who has 40k followers on their Twitter account. Dismiss all that from your mind. How? Thoughts are voluntary things, even if you don’t feel like it. Everyone has a special place on this planet and a special period of blooming. Nothing going wrong in your life can determine your happiness. And now you know the drill: Dismiss certain thoughts, embrace certain.
Fact 3: You are, and will always remain better than this.
