The alarm rings, signalling yet another Monday. You’re dragging yourself out of bed, regretting staying up all night on your phone instead of studying for the pop quiz today, when a thought hits you: What if all this – the homework, the college applications, the prom – becomes irrelevant? What if the world we know simply... ends?

You’re Not Crazy For Feeling This Way.

It’s normal to have these questions or be anxious about the future. Almost every teen goes through these concerns. Many teens have existential concerns, especially in a world full of constant tragic news and discussions about crises. This isn’t a sign of weakness, nor are you being dramatic; it’s completely valid.

Image Credit: Anemone123 from Pixabay

Take the Quiz: Which Female Character Trope Do You Belong To?

Whether it's in film, TV, or literature, you've likely come across these female character tropes. Take this quiz to discover which one best matches...

What Causes These Concerns?

Multiple things can lead to these thoughts, but the main ones include:

1. Global events:

Climate change, pandemics, geopolitical conflicts, economic instability, or even technological disasters can lead to thoughts of the world ending.

2. Personal impact:

Loss of future plans, such as college, career, and relationships. Or just stress about the future.

3. Dystopian fiction:

Books, movies, and TV shows that portray post-apocalyptic worlds or scenarios leading to the end of civilization. These narratives can fuel imagination and anxieties about real-world possibilities.

Image Credit: victorsteep from Pixabay

How Do These Impact A Teenager?

Exposure to these kinds of events and news leads to anxiety and stress, which then greatly affects a teenager. This can lead to depression, sleep deprivation, and a sense of dread. When a teen constantly hears about wars or natural disasters occurring in the world, it leads them to think about the possibility of this actually happening and maybe even the possibility of the end of the world.

By being exposed to this news, one can also feel helpless or powerless, knowing that while you are having dinner with your family, someone else has just lost theirs. This also impacts the decisions a teenager makes about their future life. By keeping the mindset of the world ending soon, they don’t care about their future and just “live in the present”.

Here Are Some Popular Coping Mechanisms: (Good And Bad)

Not ideal coping mechanisms include escapism or getting addicted, such as excessive gaming, substance abuse. More examples of unhealthy coping mechanisms are denial, fatalism, and extreme cynicism.

A deeper take on these:

1. Escapism/addiction:

Anxieties about the world ending can lead some individuals to escapism or addiction, where they might use substances or turn to obsessive behaviors to numb their fears rather than confronting them directly.

2. Denial/Avoidance:

You might cope by ignoring or pretending these thoughts about the world ending aren’t real, constantly distracting yourself instead of facing your fears.

3. Fatalism:

Fatalism makes you believe that the future is already set, and that you can’t change it, so you just think, “why bother?”.

4. Extreme cynicism:

Extreme cynicism is adopting a deeply distrustful and negative view of everything. You might believe that everyone has selfish motives, that nothing truly matters, or that any efforts to improve things are pointless.

Image Credit: vdnhieu from Pixabay

Moving on to healthy coping mechanisms such as practicing mindfulness, connecting with others, finding purpose, focusing on what can be controlled, or maybe even professional help.

1. Practicing mindfulness:

Focusing on the present moment helps you acknowledge scary thoughts about the world ending without getting overwhelmed, bringing you back to what’s happening now and reducing anxiety and stress.

2. Connecting with others:

Sharing your anxieties with friends or family can help you feel less alone and build a supportive network.

3. Finding purpose:

Identifying what truly matters to you. Focusing on meaningful activities, like personal growth or helping others, provides direction and allows you to invest energy positively. This could mean contributing to a cause you care about, picking up a hobby, or simply being a supportive family member or friend.

4. Focusing on what can be controlled:

Instead of worrying about the uncontrollable, focus on things that can be controlled, such as your actions and well-being. This includes your effort in school, how you treat others, your physical health, and how you choose to spend your time.

5. Professional help:

Therapists and counsellors can offer strategies and provide a safe space to talk about your anxieties.

Image Credit: HuyNgan from Pixabay

How To Balance These Thoughts With Your Everyday Life?

It is completely normal to feel anxious about the future. While it is important to be aware and maybe even prepare for these challenges, we need to remember that the future is unknown for a reason. While often seen negatively, a healthy acceptance of what is beyond our control – a form of wise fatalism – can actually be liberating.

By acknowledging these concerns and questions you have, and by dealing with them rather than avoiding them, you can pour your energy into stuff that matters right now, as in your studies, relationships, hobbies, and personal growth. It’s really just about finding some middle ground, where you’re neither completely absorbed by this dread, nor are you completely oblivious.

So, it all falls back to the question, What if the world ends while I’m still in high school? The answer is... You know what? There isn’t a definitive answer, and that’s not even the point.

The beauty and sometimes terror of life lie in its uncertainty. But instead of letting that uncertainty ruin us, we can choose to fully live in the present, knowing that even though the future holds unimaginable challenges, we’ve spent our ‘now’ building, learning, and connecting. So for now, I’m going to finish this article, maybe watch some Netflix, and trust that whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be better equipped, because I didn’t spend today worrying about the ‘what if?’.

Image Credit: Tumisu from Pixabay