Existential dread is the dread that comes from the reality that even though we didn’t give consent to be here, we’re here and we’ve been thrust into existence on a planet that forces us into a system where we must figure out how to survive every day.

As life continues to grow more expensive and the job market continues to get more tragic, I believe rates of suicide will continue rising.

Which is why I really want to take this time to talk about how to cope with existential dread.

I am not talking about curing existential dread because I really don’t believe there is any way to completely cure existential dread.

I read from a philosopher that to be born is to inevitably suffer. But here’s one helpful way you can cope.

Choose the right partner, friends, & family

A solid way to drown out existential dread is by choosing a life partner you can do life with who genuinely has your back and shows up for you as your best friend.

I know this is easier said than done for people who are currently single. Before I met my husband, I was in the manifestation process trying to meet him and I felt like I was never going to meet the right person who wasn’t a fuck boy. I kept meeting assholes.

I felt like I was never gonna meet anyone who had my best interest at heart. I feel like I kissed a lot of frogs before eating my prince, so I really don’t think this step is an easy one.

But I do believe that doing life with a life partner makes this existence far more bearable.

So if the desire is on your heart to do life with a life partner then that’s not something you should give up on until you actually meet the right person.

And if romance doesn’t apply to you and having a soulmate relationship, just simply isn’t something on your radar then this same thing applies with your chosen family and chosen friendships.

We don’t get to pick who’s related to us by blood, but we do get to pick who we spend quality time with and who we exchange energy with in terms of our chosen friends and family.

And we can always choose to surround ourselves with people who make us feel safe and seen. Companionship is a beautiful thing, whether it’s romantic or platonic.

No one was designed to do life completely alone. A lonely existence is a painful existence.

And that often leads to a lot of feelings of existential dread. Because when you feel like you have nothing to live for and no one to share your life with, then it’s easy to fall into depression.

So whether we’re talking about romantic relationships or platonic relationships, your chosen friends and family really matter.

And if you feel like you’re in a really lonely phase in your life, it’s OK if there are only one, two, or three people who you really trust.

But if there are zero people, then it’s your personal responsibility to put yourself out there to build connections with healthy minded people who have your best interest.

That might require putting yourself out there at times when you’d rather shy away, but it’s worth it if you really do want to escape existential dread.

It means you might have to sign up for a cooking class, you might have to start going to a new gym, or you might need to place yourself in environments where you can connect with like-minded people.

And in order to have a community, you need to show up for others, even when it’s not convenient for you.

I’ve had friends ask some of the most annoying favors out of me, and in order to maintain friendships with people who I cherish and value, I agree to show up for my friends because inconvenience is the cost of community.

Cultivating connections with chosen friends and family is really important in helping cope with existential dread.

For people who think it’s just not worth the effort to inconvenience themselves dealing with the energies of other people, then loneliness eventually leads to depression, which puts you on the direct path of existential dread.