QUARTER LIFE CRISIS?
Most of us are familiar with the term mid-life crisis; where the transition of identity and self-confidence occurs among middle aged individuals, typically between 45–64 years old. Yes , some of our grandparents could be still going through midlife crisis. Funny right?
Well, when I get to that age I will probably be able to talk about by my experience at that stage, but today I want to talk about quarter life crisis. It is a crisis involving anxiety over the direction and quality of one’s life, which is commonly experienced in a period ranging from one’s 20s to their mid-30s. Clinical psychologist Dr. Alex Fowke defines this period as a time of insecurity, doubt and disappointment surrounding your career, relationships and financial situation.
I think none of us is usually prepared for this stage of life and our parents probably had it easier at their time. Most of our parents finished high school, went into college or university, got married, got children and figured out life as it came.
For us millennials, it doesn’t come that easy as we face a lot of pressures in our current lives. There is pressure to move out to live on our own at a certain age, pressure to be able to maneuver in the ever intricate professional world and to be able to maintain relationships which are commonly subjected to a distorted notion of life through social media. Don’t even get started on social media! That one is a whole other topic of its own.
While growing up, we millennials have been brought up to be ambitious. We all had a solid plan for our lives at some point in our lives. The usual being going to school, get good grades, get to university, graduate, get a job, be financially stable , settle down and start a family. That is quite the contrary in this current fast moving life. You get to university or college study a certain course for a period of time, graduate but then you find yourself asking the question “What next?” This question has been met with a lot of perplexity. Some of your mates have already gotten their dream jobs or their businesses and enterprises are thriving. Some have already settled down and started their families. Basically everyone seems successful and getting on with their lives apart from you. You have had a job you disliked for a while now. You have been switching from one job to another. Your business ideas are not coming through. Your relationships just seem cursed. Your life seems to be getting nowhere and you feel like you are alone in this.
Well in my few years of experience I have learnt a few things that keep both you and I going.
1. You are alone in this race. You are not competing with anyone. This means that you go at your own pace. Everyone’s journey is different, meaning every individual’s destination is different. So if you are out here thinking you are competing stop for a moment and remind yourself that everything you are doing is for yourself.
2. Not all advice is good advice for you. Remember from point 1 that everyone’s journey is different, so don’t bombard yourself with all the motivational books and videos and TED talks and practice everything thing you hear or read from them. Truth is you will end up being frustrated when you don’t get results. Find out what works for you in order to achieve what you want and practice that relentlessly.
3. Stay optimistic and open minded. You will realize that once you start viewing life in a positive way it becomes easier and it doesn’t weigh down on you as heavily as it would when you are a pessimist. Being open minded will help you navigate through the challenges that you face on a daily basis.
4. Be gentle to yourself. Remember this is just a temporary phase which will end.Take one day at a time and positive steps will enable you to make changes and progress in both your career and life.
5. Talk to someone about it. Talking about your issues not only helps you rationalize the problem but also helps come up with a solution. It also helps to get an unbiased view from someone who has experience in your career or life situation.
6. Research on your options. Whether it is about your passion, career or just where you want to be in life. It helps when you have ample information, in order to guide you in decision making.
7. Lastly BE YOU. Believe in yourself. Stand for what you believe in and you will be a force to reckon in this generation.
STAY WINNING!
Sub Saharan International Model United Nations (SAIMUN) is a five-day international relations simulation for both high school and university/college students that is held annually at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON) Gigiri. The international meeting is attended by more than 800 students from all over the world, in which they debate the major issues of the international political agenda. SAIMUN19 now beckons all of us to once again take part. The theme is “Youth Leadership at its Peak:The role of the Youth In Sustainable Development” It will be held from 8th -12th July 2019, so make sure your calendars are marked!
SAIMUN also strives to offer an all-rounded journalism experience to the media team through simulating different media: a newspaper — The Daily SAIMUNER, a video news channel on YouTube — SAIMUN News, this blog along with various social media platforms. To get all this and more, subscribe to our mailing list below.
