Spiritual life cannot be understood only with the chemical reactions in our brain, because we feel emotions, have feelings, and perceive the world based on our experience and beliefs. In fact, we are all searching for meaning in our lives .
The meaning of life has captured the interest of various philosophical and psychological currents such as existentialism or humanism, and focuses on existence, consciousness and happiness, and involves many other issues such as ontology, purpose of life, ethics and free will, etc.
But what happens when someone does not find meaning in their life? Then We speak of existential emptiness or existential crisis. Today we address this issue.
What is the existential void?
The existential vacuum is a melancholic journey in which the person cannot visualize his future, he does not know where he is or know himself, and he cannot look into the future because he lacks important goals. This can cause the person to suffer from great existential anxiety, and if resolved, it can lead them to suffer a depressive state.
Individuals who encounter an existential void They may torment themselves psychologically in search of an answer they cannot find. However, if they do nothing, this situation can become a vicious circle.
The only way to escape this context is through self-knowledge and the discovery of one's own desire to be able to discover and fight for the goals of life. Therefore, in the awakening itself is the solution. The future answer is in the present, knowing who I am, what I am doing here, and where I am going.
Crisis about one's existence: feeling emotionally empty
The essential goals are necessary to keep us motivated, because if we do not find meaning in our lives, confusion and sadness can take hold of us. The existential vacuum causes us to feel psychologically uncomfortable because we begin to question the reasons for our own existence.
In reality, the existential vacuum is an identity crisis that takes place when our lives spiral out of control. Therefore, our mental plans are not adaptable and our self-esteem suffers because it has no solid foundation or framework to guide it. What am I doing here? or what is the meaning of my life? We can even ask ourselves that.
Discover who we are and what we want for ourselves is the key to our personal development and live with a positive mood. That is, introspection will help us to put our feet on the ground in the present to be able to go to the future we want.
Be emotionally intelligent, the key to overcoming
More recently, emotional intelligence has revolutionized a concept that has revolutionized the way people need to relate to each other. A term made famous by the American psychologist Daniel Goleman and nowadays applied in various fields: education, work, sports and clinical. In this last area, emotional intelligence has shown to improve self-knowledge, self-motivation, coping and regulation of emotions, and moreover, people's well-being and happiness.
Since Salovey and Mayer (1990) introduced the construct, many studies have shown the benefits of emotional intelligence. As in our article "The 10 benefits of emotional intelligence" explained, it favors decision-making and personal development, which have much to do with the existential vacuum.
In fact, personal development experts, such as coaches, provide emotional intelligence tools for coachees, as an individual cannot be understood without proper self-knowledge and management of one's emotions..
Emotional intelligence allows a person Get to know yourself better and plan realistic goals, This is the key to leave the existential vacuum and become alive again. Emotional intelligence helps to overcome the identity crisis and allows you to live more clearly in the present and in the future.
What to do with your life when you do not find the right path?
Since leaving the existential vacuum has to do with finding one's true identity, it is different for each person to face this situation. That is, the path to be drawn is different in each subject and requires the willingness of each individual to avoid falling into this negative spiral.
Psychologists deal with lost people every day, that they don't like their job or their life or that they are with a partner who is not really good for them. They stay there for fear of leaving their comfort zone, for fear of uncertainty, for fear of meeting their true selves . Happiness is in oneself, in the personal development and vital self-realization of everyone..
Tips for overcoming the existential gap
Below are some tips to help you overcome the existential void
1. Know yourself
As we have already mentioned in previous lines, it is necessary to know yourself the way of life, Do not be afraid of your desires. If you want to improve your emotional intelligence, you can find some useful courses in the article "The 6 best courses for emotional intelligence and personal development".
2. Setting goals
Marking goals is the key to not feeling the existential vacuum. Scientific studies claim that people who set realistic goals enjoy more mental well-being and are more motivated. In fact, this is the key to avoiding depression.
3. Accept reality
Frustration and existential emptiness are often also a result of unrealistic expectations and failure to accept reality. When we accept ourselves as we are, the existential emptiness disappears.
4. Live the present
Accepting yourself makes no sense if you don't live the present fully. It's good to set goals, but you always have to keep in mind the place we started from.
5. Get help
In some cases, the confusion is such that it is very difficult to look to the future. Then it is necessary to have psychologists This can help people overcome the existential emptiness and see the right direction to a full life.