I’m sure most you have experienced or been experiencing early life crisis. In this phase you feel confused, doubt yourself and have a sense of feeling lost in life. This early life crisis thing, mostly occurs between late adolescence & early adulthood. And it is also called quarter life crisis.
Even if I say don’t worry it’s common, every your age person feels the same, it will not change your state…because there is just a lot of anxiety and overthinking going on in your head.
If you are trying to figure out your identity and place in world, you are going through early life crisis my friend..if you choose you can come up stronger or broke, demotivated.
According to research, approximately 75% of young adults have reported experiencing a quarter-life crisis. The phenomenon is becoming more widespread as young adults face increased pressure to succeed in today’s fast-paced world. Which we can obviously understand could have negative as well as positive side effects.
So, let’s discuss about it in brief, honestly, I am going through this for very long time, and expecting to come out as someone who I need to be.
The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for those experiencing an early life crisis. (BTW, this is all researched, no all words are mine..)
4 Common Signs of Early Life Crisis
Here are a few signs that can be felt when you go through it.
Feeling lost or stuck in life
Feeling lost or stuck in life can be a challenging experience, and it is a common sign of early life crisis.
For example, a recent college graduate may feel lost and uncertain about what he want to do with his life, despite having a degree. He may feel pressure from family, friends, or society to pursue a certain career path, but lack clarity or motivation about what he truly want. This can lead to a sense of confusion, frustration, and anxiety.
Experiencing a sense of anxiety or dread
At this stage you need to make major career decisions which can turn your life upside down. This is reason for anxiety. And over decisions of what I want in life, and how I want to see myself after 5 years.
This decision is not easy and extremely challenging.
Lack of motivation or direction
This can feel like a general sense of apathy or disinterest in activities that used to bring joy or a feeling of purpose. Like playing games or watching cartoons, which feel like a bit disgusting and waste of time…Nothing motivates you.
It may also involve difficulty in setting and achieving goals, feeling overwhelmed by choices, or lacking a clear sense of priorities.
Difficulty making decisions & setting goals
I’ve read this somewhere “decisions are never right or wrong, they are just decisions, only after you decide and act, you can find whether it was right or wrong”.
Even after knowing it, I am struggling in choosing. Welcomeee to early life crisis my friend. However, you are different from me. I’m a bit more dumb!!
So, if these were the four signs, if you answered “it’s mee”, then you are in this phase. Now whattt?
Now let me tell you causes, after that I’ll tell you what to do.
What causes early life crisis?
There are several uncountable reasons, like child trauma, toxic environment, etc. And four, below are most common.
Unrealistic societal expectations
This could include pressure to follow a certain career path, conform to social norms, or achieve certain milestones by a certain age. These expectations can create a sense of anxiety and lead individuals to feel like they are not measuring up or living up to their full potential.
Or maybe, peer pressure of getting a job like them, making money as he’s making, etc.
Fear of failure or disappointment
Another cause of early life crisis is the fear of failure or disappointment. This fear can prevent you from taking risks or pursuing their passions, which can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction and feeling unfulfilled. It can also create a cycle of self-doubt and negative self-talk that further reinforces the feeling of being stuck or lost.
Lack of self-awareness and self-esteem
A lack of self-awareness may prevent him from recognizing his true passions and desires, leading to a feeling of being lost or directionless. He may struggle with identifying his own strengths and weaknesses, which can make it challenging to set realistic goals or make informed decisions about his future.
And, low self-esteem may cause him to doubt his abilities and second-guess his choices, leading to a lack of confidence and a fear of taking risks.
Who is he? He is a teen turning adult.
I’d recommend my 13 yr self to start reading books like, power of unwavering focus, what it takes to be free, atomic habits, magic of thinking big, think & grow rich, etc. to build self-awareness (few more I don’t remember at this point).
Pressure to conform to external norms
And last, this pressure can come from family, friends, or society as a whole, and can create a sense of conflict between one’s own desires and the expectations of others.
This conflict can lead to a feeling of being stuck or trapped, with no clear path forward.
5 Ways to Take Action in Early Life Crisis
Embrace change and take risks
One way to take action in early life crisis is to embrace change and take risks. First of all, you got to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things, even if they feel scary or uncertain.
Chances of finding your passions and talents increases, when you keep on trying different things. Once you found your passions, making decisions becomes easier.
(I assume you are skimming, so nothing more to add…)
Explore new hobbies and interests
Hobbies might be, standup comedy, music, etc. Which can help you relax yourself, meet new people, allow to think clearly.
Volunteer and give back to the community
Giving back to the community can also be a powerful way to combat early life crisis. Volunteering can provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, while also helping individuals build new skills and make a positive impact in the world.
Focus on learning
It doesn’t literally mean, reading a lot of course books, getting good marks, consuming a lot of courses, etc. It just mean to actually do & learn.
For eg. make a website rather then watching course or watching tutorials all the time.
And rule of thumb is, learn on thing at a time. All teenagers make this mistake of going for several things at a time. It never works. So, LEARN…
Read books & act on their ideas
Reading books and acting on their ideas is another way to take action during early life crisis.
Books can offer valuable insights and inspiration, providing new perspectives and strategies for overcoming challenges. By putting these ideas into practice, you may be able to make positive changes in their lives and find new direction and purpose.
Final words
Majority of us goes through this, few even loose their lives by leaving this game. Which is a bit discouraging. And this only let other know about their weakness and no mental strength.
You have to avoid suicidal thoughts, if you get them, it means you need a bit break, chat with closed ones, or a professional therapist.
I’ve felt relatable while finding ideas to write in this post. So maybe you should do the right.
Good bye🌟
Disclaimer: also I am not professional advisor, don’t listen to my advice in context to this blog post, because most of it is personal and could only work for me. So consult & talk to professional.