Written by Contributor Writer Natalia Tyndall
Being young can be a struggle at times. There are all the pressures that come with starting your adult life. Things like career stress, bills, responsibilities, and even relationships. People always say that the young have it easy but it’s actually the furthest thing from the truth. There’s a lot of talk about a person’s mid-life crisis but what about your quarter-life crisis?
What is it?
A quarter-life crisis is the period in your 20s when it seems like everything in your life is falling apart and nothing is going right. Sound familiar? This is especially true for our generation due to the fact that there is such a pressure to get ahead at a young age and thrive in order to be better than the next person. There are a ton of stories out there about the 18-yr old billionaire or the next young CEO. Seeing these success stories may give someone a false idea about where you should be at a certain age but in reality everyone is different. So here are some tips on making it through.
You Don’t Need to Have Your S**T Together
And that’s perfectly OK. Take a line from the Jessie J song, “Who You Are” for inspiration. The songstress wisely sings, “it’s OK not to be OK” and she is totally right. Sometimes the best decisions are made when everything is falling apart. Some of us learn best from our mistakes and, hey, you have to make some in order to learn valuable lessons. Don’t let the idea that you need to be living a perfect life get you down.
Life is Always Evolving
If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, it might be time for a change; whether it be career, location, or relationship related. Almost 40% of people in their 20s go through major career changes. Think of all the people you graduated with who are doing something completely different than the degree they graduated with. It’s common to feel run down after a while of staying in the same place. Just know that change is good, so don’t be afraid of it.
Clean, Clean, Clean
Getting organized is one of the best ways to help yourself calm down after a major freak out. There’s always that saying that “the state of your room reflects the state of your mind” and this is so true. When everything is going great in your life, your living area probably looks clean and organized too. Also, it’s hard to work and concentrate when your kitchen is dirty, there are clothes all over your bedroom floor and you left last night’s takeout on the coffee table. Take a day to breath and just get yourself together and you are bound to feel 10x better afterwards.
Make Some Goals
If these things don’t help, it may be time to get proactive. There’s no use in sitting around and waiting for something to happen to you. Make change into a verb and make a difference in your life. Start with short and long term goals. Whatever it is that bothers you; try to channel it into a list of the changes you want to see in your future. By putting this down on paper, your problems won’t seem so big anymore and instead seems easier to tackle when separated into achievable goals. Also, remember to reward yourself along the way, you’ve worked hard for it.
Lastly, just remember to breath and have fun. There will never be a period of your life as fun or as life changing as your 20s, so be sure to enjoy it. No matter where you are, there is so much that life has to offer you and by spending all your time worrying it is guaranteed to pass you by. Take the lessons life is throwing at you and channel them into something positive.
