EXISTENTIAL ANXIETY AND STUDENT WELL-BEING

This paper argues that existential anxiety is negatively affecting the well-being of higher education students. Today's students struggle with a myriad of well-being issues including high levels of anxiety and stress. Existential philosophy provides insights into the dilemmas of modern society, especially anxiety. From an existential perspective, anxiety is the natural result of the freedom to choose one's life, as we try to make sense of our lives. Since we live in an increasingly complex world, making major choices for our lives is a much greater challenge than in the past. Understanding the effect of existential anxiety on students can help teachers and administrators develop strategies to address this increasing problem.