Do you ever feel like you’re having a mid-life crisis, but you’re only in your 20s or early 30s? You’re clearly not a kid anymore, but somehow you don’t feel like an adult yet. Half your friends are in committed relationships, they’ve got comfortable jobs, and their own places to call home. It feels like everyone else’s life is on track… except yours. There’s a word for that, it’s called the quarter-life crisis.
In a quarter-life crisis, the stressors that young people are experiencing are starting to truly drag them down. It feels like right now should be the prime of your life and you should be doing something more than struggling constantly. Finding the perfect job, mapping out your career goals, moving out on your own, building personal relationships, and making big decisions are all taking a toll on you. With so much on your plate you’ve entered a time in your life that can only be described as uncertain. You’re growing as a person, yet there’s still this persistently overwhelming feeling of being trapped and uninspired because you’re so incredibly anxious about what comes next.
Fortunately for you there are ways to power through these dark times and come out of the experience as a happier, healthier person. When you begin feeling the onset of a quarter-life crisis, a.k.a when the feelings of self-doubt and general fear about where you’re going in life start to creep in, the first step is to reflect. Consider how far you’ve come and where you want to end up. Then use baby steps to figure out how to make it happen. Be warned, this is not a simple process; it can take months or years to redefine your mindset and customize a plan on how to get from your unique point A to this new and unexplored point B.
Thankfully you can speed things along and give yourself some much-needed stability by speaking with a mental health professional. It’s unbelievable how talking to someone about your worries can help you gain a new perspective. Plus, it’s scary how easy it is to fall into a depressive spiral when you’re in the middle of a quarter-life crisis, so having someone to talk to can alleviate that.
The biggest positive side effect of a quarter-life crisis is that it’s going to lead you to explore new things. When you’re dissatisfied with things in your comfort zone you begin to branch outwards. Try new activities, join a club or group, talk to different people, and even explore your passions to see if you can find a hobby. Consider some things you use to enjoy and see if you can revive those interests, if not then find something new.
There are so many paths to choose in life, and it’s normal to get confused about what you want. The most important thing to remember is that life is not a competition. Other people are on different paths than you and all that matters is you find one that leads to your own happiness.