Millennials Are Going Through A “Quarter-Life Crisis” And Here’s Why It’s Not Such A Bad Thing

by Conscious Reminder

We all are familiar with the midlife crisis which strikes the middle-aged people. The term creates a mental imagery of a dependable father and husband who suddenly disappears into the blue. 

But only a few of you would have heard of the term quarter-life crisis. It is described as a period of doubt and insecurity which you go through in your late 20’s to early 30’s relating to career, relationships and money.

In a survey of 6000 people between the ages of 25 to 33, it was found that almost 80% of them went through the crisis due to the pressure of succeeding in their career, relationships and finances. Some of you might say, ‘but this is weird, as these expectations have always been there and one is supposed to stand firm on them.’ You might also say that this generation has become victim of its own idea of achieving anything that one can dream of.

But clinical psychologist Dr Alex Fowke says that the crisis is real, as now the younger generation is facing far greater pursue than the previous generations. He adds that, ‘Nowadays, twenty-somethings are under intense pressure to get themselves onto the housing market, navigate the increasingly complex professional landscape, struggle to maintain relationships and are commonly subjected to a distorted notion of life through social media.’

In an another study based on the group of 2000 people, it was found that 31% felt that they had wasted the precious years of their life in wrong jobs, 34% had to shift to another country or city, 35% had to completely change their careers and 22% lost their jobs without any backup.

The quarter-life crisis can also be attributed to the fact that the millennials have completely new form of expectations from themselves. They want a fulfilling job, they want flexible working conditions; they want to make positive change to the world while also keeping the traditional values of the older generations- Salary, marriage and a sweet home.

The studies have concluded that these days young people are not ready to settle for less. And that is the key, you youngsters must not settle for less, you must persevere and be patient. After all, Rome was not built in a day!

Now the point is; what to do when you find yourself in a quarter-life crisis?

Here is what experts say:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

One of the most common causes of stress for the millenials is that they compare themselves with their friends. This comparison is not at all beneficial as both of its outcomes are bad for you. Either you’ll feel inferior or you’ll feel superior. Part of this comparison habit is due to the social media, which presents a perfect looking life image. If you will let your thoughts to be preoccupied by others, then you cannot do anything to be successful.

2. Define success in your own terms.

Only you know what exactly you want in your life. Only you know the sources of your happiness. Thus, only you must decide what is success!

Give yourself some time to find what is important to to and then stick to it.