Everyone, sooner or later, begins to take their first serious steps toward independence. They start college and gain new life experiences. However, on the path to professional development and self-discovery, they face many obstacles, including a quarter-life crisis.
What is the quarter-life crisis?
A quarter-life crisis is defined as a crisis in which a person is concerned about his or her future and quality of life. It is associated with intense maturation and the resulting significant shift in the value hierarchy. As a rule, it lasts about eleven months.
Who is most likely to experience a quarter-life crisis?
Although this crisis can begin as early as 18 years old, the main period of its occurrence is between the ages of 20 and mid-30s.
Psychologist Alex Fowke defines it as a period of uncertainty, doubt, and frustration related to one's career, relationships, and financial situation. According to Meredith Goldstein of The Boston Globe, this type of crisis occurs after young people enter the real world. For example, after graduating from college or moving out of the family home.
How do you know if you have a quarter-life crisis?
Here are the most common signs of a quarter-life crisis:
- Anxiety
- A sense of being "lost” and isolation
- A constant state of uncertainty
- Demotivation
- Depression
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Fear
- Fluctuating relationships
- Impulsive behaviour
- Internal disunity
- Loneliness, or confusion about what steps to take in early adulthood
- Procrastination
- Self-doubt
- Unwillingness to do anything.
A quarter-life crisis can sometimes manifest itself as decreased performance and rapid fatigue. Given that students constitute the majority of a critical group, it seems reasonable to seek assistance from professional services. For example, one can delegate a share of his written work to essay writing services on The News Minute.
The most common minor signs of crisis also include neurotic symptoms:
- A shift in the emotional background toward melancholy moods
- Apathy
- Anhedonia.
At the same time, it is worth noting that any crisis is beneficial to the individual. It allows you to understand what you need to focus on in your life and change your normal rhythm.
How do you get over a quarter-life crisis?
Overcoming a crisis is a time-consuming process that requires a person to confront his fears and learn to understand and listen to himself. Here are some pointers to help you get through the quarter-life crisis:
- Stop comparing yourself to others. The comparison to more successful friends is one factor that adds stress to many people. The act of comparing yourself to others produces one of two outcomes, neither of which benefits you in any way: you either feel worse or better than the person to whom you compare yourself. Social networks and the number of subscribers affect its occurrence even more. Life is, however, not perfect for everyone. One cannot build his life properly if he is always interested in what others say, do, or appear to do.
- Get support. Surround yourself with people with whom you can discuss your fears and doubts. Learn to express your fears and receive support from others, which will help you overcome them.
- Define your “success conditions”. In the age of digitalisation, when most people live online, it is easy to lose sight of one’s definition of professional success and personal happiness when it appears that everyone seems to achieve it. However, are you certain that they have what you want, or are you being forced to want it because it is now "trending"? Look deep within yourself to find values that are important to you and are synonymous with the concept of "success." This action will lead to personal satisfaction rather than short-term applause from the crowd.
- Recognise your emotions. While you are "face-to-face" with yourself, you must learn to understand your feelings and the fact that what you are going through is normal, and there is no reason to be ashamed or feel guilty. Other people face similar issues at some point in their lives too. Many therapists advise you to make a list of your issues and fears. You do not need to be a professional of an essay service to get one. Visualising your problems will assist you in realising that they are not as large as they appear to you at the time.
- Plan your life. It is important to stick to the regimen and build physical endurance. Take note of how your nutrition, sleep, and daily physical activity. It often happens that sudden doubts attack a person so hard that he has no strength left to do anything else. Planning one’s life enables you to use your effectiveness competently, perform more, and achieve results.
- Try new things. Many young people believe that if they find their dream job, they will find everything. However, after assuming the desired position, they begin to degrade as a person and are confronted with the fact that they lack the strength to live and entertain. As a result, it is critical to learn something new for yourself and to try new activities that will help you grow as a person and make you feel alive.
- Concentrate on your successes rather than your setbacks. When taking on a new project, do not be afraid to make a mistake or fail it. Work on yourself without focusing on your failures. Make yourself the person who always sees the glass as "half full," and you will learn to see the way out where it was previously invisible. Stop wasting time thinking about what you have done wrong. You should better consider how you grew up and what lessons you were able to learn from the mistake.
- Your degree is not your limit factor. One of the most common misconceptions in the world is that your diploma determines who you will eventually become. Many people believe that a person's future and profession are determined by the diploma he or she receives. This, however, is not the case. If you feel out of place, do not be afraid to change your life, learn new skills, and further your education in a field that interests you. Furthermore, there are many online courses that you can take while working.
Conclusion
Overcoming adult problems is difficult if done alone. With the right approach and support you will learn to make decisions and manage your life even if you are constantly told that you are only a child. This stage of your life entails discovering who you are and what you want your life to be.
