Digitalks #14. How to Power Through Quarter-Life Crisis
Is there a way to ease ourselves up in the prolonged state of limbo?
Digitalks is a virtual brown bag meeting by Breadnbeyond’s Digital Marketing team where all valuable information, feedback, ideas, seminars, and training sessions are shared.
Time slipped when we couldn’t wait to grow up and be the adults of our dreams.
Adulting seemed a fun and hopeful journey to everyone — earn your own bucks, apply for your dream jobs, and get complete control of your life.
Or so you thought.
Many get trapped in a what-so-called quarter-life crisis, a phase when people struggle to enjoy life and get buried in thoughts.
People in their mid-20s are prone to this issue, and you may experience it too at the moment.
A clinical psychologist and the founder Explorasi.id, Nixie Devina Rahmadiani, shares some insights about the quarter-life crisis and how to overcome the drought.
Without further delay, let’s dive into the discussions!
The Quarter-Life Crisis
Nixie defines the term quarter-life crisis (QLC) as a popular term when one has to overcome different situations simultaneously.
It’s a period when people in their mid-20s to early 30s feel uncertain about their life and question their decisions.
Their problems commonly revolve around managing careers, financials, future goals, relations, etc.
As it can be overwhelming to deal with life problems, many fail to maintain a good mental state during a quarter-life crisis.
Do you find yourself in this situation? Or are you still yet unsure?
Let’s take a closer look at the signs of experiencing a quarter-life crisis.
Are You Going Through a Quarter-Life Crisis?
In the age of social media, people are more prone to experiencing a quarter-life crisis.
One of the leading reasons is that people are very able to see others’ personal life and start comparing themselves.
As a psychologist, Nixie states some signs that someone is going through a quarter-life crisis, which follows:
1. Start Questioning Yourself
During a quarter-life crisis, you often question your own self. ‘Am I not doing enough?’ ‘Why didn’t I achieve anything?’ ‘Why’s everyone doing better than me?’ Or other self-addressed questions.
2. Feel So Left Behind
Social media makes it easier for everyone to see others’ achievements.
You may feel envious and insecure just by seeing your friends getting promoted or doing the job of their dreams.
3. Feel Aimless and Hopeless
You also find yourself to be confused many times. You feel stuck and have no idea what you want to do and achieve in the future.
4. Demotivation
Demotivation is the most significant sign of a quarter-life crisis.
You start feeling unmotivated to work, tired, burnout, stressed, and confused.
All the burdens may also affect your physical health, so you can get sick more often.
5. YOLO vs. Settled
On the one hand, you want to enjoy life and have fun, but the other half of you are against the idea.
You want to be prosperous and financially stable, which requires you to give up on having fun.
What Causes Quarter-Life Crisis?
Finding jobs they are passionate about is the main reason people are prone to the issue.
Data from LinkedIn reveals that a whopping 75% of 25–33-year-old populations suffer from a quarter-life crisis.
To see more reasons, see the statistics from LinkedIn regarding the quarter-life crisis below.
The above data are in line with what Nixie states in our Digitalks #14.
She states six points that can cause someone to experience a quarter-life crisis, which are:
- Identity crisis
- Frustration over relationships
- Finding jobs
- Feeling insecure about the future
- Self-disappointment
- Pressure from family or friends
The Phases
Hard times don’t last forever, and neither is a quarter-life crisis.
If you consider yourself going through a quarter-life crisis, you need to dare yourself to make momentum.
Nixie describes the six stages of a quarter-life crisis, and sometimes it’s just a matter of time before you get over the hardship.
#1. Feel trapped in life choices
The first stage is feeling trapped by the life choices you’ve made.
You may feel uncomfortable in your current situation and feel like you don’t belong anywhere.
You question a lot about your job, but at the same time, you are too afraid to take new steps.
#2. Want to ‘get out and make changes in life
The feeling of wanting to break through is getting intense.
You often find yourself exhausted and stressed about your routines.
Worse, you may experience excessive burnout that affects your physical health.
#3. Dare to make decisions
When you constantly feel stressed and exhausted, it’s a sign that you should make decisions.
It won’t be easy to make decisions during this time, but you should, and perhaps must too.
There will always be a risk of leaving your past and starting a new journey.
But you will be even more regretful for not taking a new opportunity.
#4. Start fresh with new situations
Preparation is key to helping you be confident in making life decisions.
Plan what you will do and how you will live after leaving your past.
If you have planned your life for some months ahead, you can confidently start a new beginning.
#5. Make new commitments according to self-interest
You may feel anxious when doing something new, but it’s better than being regretful about staying in your current situation.
Start fresh by making new commitments to yourself and make a better life by setting boundaries between work and personal life.
How to Deal with the Quarter-Life Crisis?
Overcoming each quarter-life crisis stage is not a walk in the park.
It can take you months or years to finally dare to make a new beginning.
Nixie shares some tips on dealing with the issue and helping yourself to have a better life quality.
You should consider some points below.
- Stop comparing yourself to others: The best way to do this is by getting some time off from social media until you get better.
- Explore yourself: Find what you’re passionate about or what you want to learn to nurture your personal life and build better careers.
- Make self-priority and set goals: Pen down things that will help you grow and feel better. Set some realistic goals you want to achieve.
- Make commitments: Tell yourself that you can make a better life by performing some of the steps above.
- Prove that you can overcome difficult times: Always trust yourself and value the tough times as life lessons that help you grow.
So, How’s Your Mid-20s Going?
Nixie leaves a friendly quotation for those struggling through a quarter-life crisis.
Being able to work hard is great, but knowing when to stop and rest is amazing.
It’s necessary to put yourself first sometimes, to let go of the burden and heal yourself for better days ahead.
This post is for educational purposes and general guidance. We advise you to always listen to your institution and do what is right for you.
Breadnbeyond helps you to create high-converting animated explainer videos.
Check out our useful resources to hone your social media marketing skills. Or, you can subscribe here to get free e-books!
