On existential anxiety

Chapter 10 , “On Existential Anxiety,” explores the multifaceted nature of anxiety, distinguishing between everyday anxiety and existential anxiety. Ordinary anxiety is framed as an evolutionary mechanism for self-preservation, which becomes maladaptive when it exceeds tolerable limits. Existential anxiety, by contrast, arises from the human awareness of finitude, freedom, and responsibility, reflecting fundamental concerns about mortality, meaning, and authenticity. The chapter traces the historical evolution of the concept from classical antiquity through Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, highlighting its philosophical, theological, and psychological dimensions. It also examines modern psychological approaches, including the contributions of Rollo May, Viktor Frankl, and Irvin Yalom. The chapter further details how existential anxiety can interfere with the 12 pillars of wellness and outlines strategies that existential wellness coaches may employ to help clients acknowledge, integrate, and constructively respond to existential anxiety. Practical coaching techniques emphasize normalization, reflective practices, values clarification, and meaning-making, recognizing existential anxiety as an unavoidable, instructive aspect of the human condition rather than as a pathology to be eradicated. The chapter underscores the importance of guiding clients to engage with existential concerns in ways that foster resilience, authenticity, and a deeper engagement with life.