Have you been waking up lately feeling like you’re just going through the motions?
Maybe you’ve checked off all the “right” boxes in life—the career, the relationship, the milestones—but instead of feeling fulfilled, you’re left with a lingering sense of meh. You aren’t necessarily deeply depressed, but you aren’t exactly thriving, either. You might be wondering, “Is this really all there is?”
If this sounds familiar, you aren’t broken, and you aren’t alone. You might be experiencing an existential crisis.
While the term often brings up images of dramatic breakdowns, an existential crisis is usually much quieter. It is simply a period of deep questioning about your life’s meaning, purpose, and direction. At Liberated Mind Counseling and Health Center, we help clients navigate these heavy transitions every day.
Here are five common signs that you are experiencing an existential crisis—and how you can start to find your way out of the fog.
1. You keep asking, “Is this all there is?”
You’ve achieved the goals you set out for yourself years ago, but the finish line feels completely underwhelming. Instead of enjoying your life, you find yourself staring at your daily routine and feeling a profound sense of emptiness. You have lost the “why” behind what you do every day.
For more on this topic -> How to Find Your Purpose
2. You feel like a spectator in your own life
Do you feel disconnected from the people and activities around you? People having an existential crisis often describe feeling like an alien on their own planet. You might be going to work, smiling at your partner, and attending social events, but internally, you feel completely detached from the experience.
For more on this topic -> Your thoughts are yours but you are not your thoughts…
3. Your old values and beliefs no longer fit
This is especially common for individuals going through a faith transition or a major life change. The rules, beliefs, or cultural expectations that used to give your life structure suddenly feel restrictive, untrue, or hollow. You know what you don’t believe anymore, but you haven’t yet figured out what you do value.
For more on this topic -> What are values?
And -> How Values Create Resilience
4. You are paralyzed by indecision
When you lose your sense of meaning, making decisions becomes incredibly difficult. If you don’t know what matters to you, how can you decide whether to change careers, move to a new city, or stay in a relationship? This lack of an internal compass often leads to decision paralysis, keeping you stuck in a life you’ve outgrown.
For more on this topic -> Lacking Motivation? How to get started on that “thing”…
5. You have a lingering sense of dread or anxiety
An existential crisis isn’t just about feeling bored; it often comes with a low-grade hum of anxiety. You might find yourself hyper-focused on the passage of time, your own mortality, or the fear that you are wasting your potential.
For more on this topic -> Why Your “Perfect” Utah Life Leaves You Feeling “Meh” (And How to Fix It)
And -> Anxiety Therapy
How to Get “Unstuck” and Find Meaning Again
If you resonate with these signs, take a deep breath. An existential crisis is not a disease; it is an invitation. It is your mind’s way of telling you that your current way of living is no longer working for you.
“The goal isn’t to force yourself to feel happy about a life that no longer fits. The goal is to build a life that is authentically yours.” – Dr. R.C. Morris
- Make peace with difficult thoughts and emotions.
- Clarify your core values—uncovering what actually matters to you, not just what society or your upbringing told you should matter.
- Take committed action to rebuild a life full of purpose, vitality, and connection.
Ready to rediscover your purpose?
You don’t have to navigate this heavy mental load alone. Whether you are in Salt Lake City, St. George, or anywhere in Utah, our telehealth services make it easy to get the support you need.
Let’s figure out your next steps together.
Our Therapists
Julare Morris, LCSW
Co-Founder, COO & Clinical Director, Psychotherapist
Julare brings warmth, candor, and a genuine commitment to meeting clients exactly where they are. Her approach is open and direct, clients consistently describe her as someone who tells it to them straight, but in a way that feels like being cared for, not lectured to.
She specializes in anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions, including the particular kind of loss and identity disruption that comes with leaving or questioning a faith tradition. Julare offers both individual sessions and facilitates group therapy.
She is accepting new clients. → Learn more about Julare
R.C. Morris, LCSW, PhD
Co-Founder, CEO & Psychotherapist
R.C. specializes in existential psychotherapy, helping people find meaning during moments when the old frameworks no longer hold. He brings to clinical practice both his training as a licensed clinical social worker and his background as a sociologist and researcher at the University of Utah, where he studies the psychology of relationships and identity.
He works with clients navigating faith transitions, existential crises, grief, career and identity changes, and the kind of purposelessness that arrives when the life you’ve been living stops feeling like yours. His approach is thoughtful, grounded, and direct, with a focus on helping clients build a life that is genuinely centered on their own values rather than on inherited expectations.
He is accepting new clients. → Learn more about R.C.
Further reading:
- How to Manage Anxiety During a Faith Transition in Utah
- What Is ACT Therapy? A Plain-English Guide
- How to Find Your Purpose
- Life Transitions Therapy
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This post does not constitute therapeutic counseling or advice; the contents of this post are provided as a learning resource. We share the contents hoping that if you are in need of mental health support you will reach out to us directly or to a mental health professional in your area.
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