It’s been five years since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but for many, the psychological impact lingers — quietly, persistently. One of the most pervasive and often unspoken effects? Death anxiety.
Even as daily life has returned to something resembling normal, the shadow of mortality that COVID-19 cast hasn’t entirely lifted. If you’ve found yourself more aware of your own mortality, more anxious about health, or caught in existential thoughts about the fragility of life, you’re far from alone.
What Is Death Anxiety?
Death anxiety refers to the fear, dread, or unease related to the inevitability of death — your own or that of others. It can be conscious or deeply subconscious and often shows up in subtle ways:
- Hyperfocus on health or physical symptoms
- Difficulty making decisions due to fear of regret or loss
- Persistent low-level anxiety or existential dread
- Avoidance of anything that reminds you of death (e.g., aging, illness, certain media)
Existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom (2008) described death anxiety as a core existential concern, one that can quietly shape our behaviours, fears, and relationships, even when we’re not consciously thinking about death.
Why COVID-19 Changed the Way We Relate to Death
The COVID-19 pandemic created a rare and collective experience: a global confrontation with mortality. The initial urgency of lockdowns and health risks may have faded, but for many, COVID-19 left a deeper imprint — a heightened awareness of how fragile and uncertain life can be.
1. We Were Bombarded by Death-Related Content
Daily death tolls. Stories of loss. Conversations about ventilators and risk. The constant presence of death in the media created what some researchers call a “mortality-saturated environment” (Menzies & Menzies, 2020), significantly heightening anxiety — especially for those already predisposed to health concerns or existential fears.
2. The Illusion of Control Was Shattered
Many of us move through life with the quiet belief that we’re in control — of our health, our future, our routines. COVID-19 stripped that illusion away. Even people who felt healthy, secure, or “too young to worry” found themselves re-evaluating what felt safe.
3. Disconnection Disrupted Our Coping Mechanisms
Whether through community, ritual, or the comfort of routine, we rely on social connection to manage difficult emotions. Isolation during lockdowns meant that many of us processed death anxiety alone, often without support, ritual, or acknowledgment.
4. It Introduced Death Anxiety to New Populations
Historically, death anxiety has been associated with older age or specific diagnoses. But COVID-19 broadened that experience. People of all ages — especially those who hadn’t yet encountered death closely — were suddenly faced with it in a real and visceral way.
How Death Anxiety Still Shows Up Today
Even if you’re not thinking about death every day, it may still be impacting your life. Death anxiety doesn’t always present as an obvious fear. It often appears through:
- Health anxiety: Constant symptom-checking, doctor visits, or fears of serious illness despite reassurance.
- Avoidance: Skipping certain conversations, news stories, or even medical appointments.
- Existential unease: A lingering sense that something feels off or unsettled, often tied to questions about meaning, purpose, or time.
- Control-seeking behaviours: Overworking, perfectionism, or hypervigilance as ways to “outrun” uncertainty.
These responses are understandable — but they can also be exhausting.
Is This Normal?
Yes. It’s normal to have a more heightened awareness of death after living through a global pandemic. What’s important is how we relate to these thoughts now. For some, death anxiety becomes a catalyst for deeper reflection. For others, it can become intrusive or interfere with living fully.
If it’s keeping you up at night, limiting your joy, or fuelling chronic anxiety, it might be time to explore it more consciously with professional support.
Moving Forward: How to Work with Death Anxiety
Death anxiety doesn’t have to be something we avoid or suppress. In fact, confronting it — gently and compassionately — can lead to a deeper, more intentional life.
Therapy
Working with a licensed therapist or psychotherapist can help you make sense of your fears, unpack the beliefs beneath them, and develop ways to live with more clarity and peace. Existential and integrative therapy approaches are particularly helpful when exploring death-related themes.
Mindfulness and Grounding
Practices that help you stay present can ease anxiety by shifting focus from the imagined future back to the current moment. Mindfulness, breathwork, body awareness, and mindful self-inquiry are powerful tools here.
Meaning-Making
Viktor Frankl (1959) argued that the confrontation with mortality can prompt us to search for meaning. Reflecting on what gives your life purpose — relationships, creativity, contribution — can help turn fear into motivation.
Talking About It
Whether it’s with a therapist, a trusted friend, or in a support group, speaking about death anxiety out loud can be incredibly freeing. It breaks the silence and reduces shame, reminding us that we’re not alone in these fears.
Embracing Life, Even in the Shadow of Death
COVID-19 reminded us that life is unpredictable. But it also gave us a powerful opportunity: to look at our mortality not just as something to fear, but as something that can guide us toward deeper presence, clarity, and connection.
If you’re still feeling the weight of this awareness — whether it shows up as subtle anxiety or more intrusive thoughts — know that mental health support is available.
Ready to Start a Conversation About Death Anxiety?
If death anxiety is still weighing on you, you don’t have to face it alone. Therapy can help you find calm, clarity, and meaning, even in times of uncertainty.
Book a free discovery call to explore what’s coming up for you and how we can work together. Let’s make space for peace, purpose, and presence in your life.
References
Menzies, R. E., & Menzies, R. G. (2020). Death anxiety in the time of COVID-19: Theoretical explanations and clinical implications. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 13(19), 1–11.
Yalom, I. D. (2008). Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death. Jossey-Bass.
Frankl, V. E. (1959). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.
