Dealing with quarter-life crisis

Life is uncertain, life is unpredictable, and life has its crests and troughs. We all have aims and goals to achieve, we have plans, and yet, there comes a point in life when everything seems to fail, everything seems to slip right through our hands. One thing leads to another and worries continue to grow bigger, and sooner than we realise we start to question every decision we ever made.

 While some people experience these turbulences earlier in life, many young adults find themselves trapped within these walls of uncertainty in their twenties, which is commonly termed as the quarter-life crisis. It is common, and even certain for some.

 After all, prior to this, all these years we have a constant rope that we hold onto in order to reach a destination through the stages of education, from school to university. And suddenly, once we complete graduation, we are left on our own, not knowing where to go or what to do as anxiety creeps within our minds, making us worried about the future.

 With the absurd amount of competition nowadays, the entire job hunt procedure can be extremely difficult. This period of transition is naturally very tough to deal with, that is overflowing with worry, stress, and crippling with anxiety.       

 Everyone deals with this individually, but it is also a situation which you alone are not facing, there are many like you. And remember, like every other difficulty, this shall pass too. If you are lucky enough to catch a break amidst everything, try enjoying it to the fullest rather than worrying about what is next. Here are a few things that may help you redirect yourself. 

Don't fall into the trap of procrastination

Having access to an abundance of free time all of a sudden can push us to procrastinate and delay tasks. While it is okay to take a break and relax sometimes, constantly delaying can be dangerous. You might as well lose the energy and drive you once had if you let procrastination feed on you.

 It is easy to feel demotivated and laze around. In times like these, try to complete your tasks little by little, if not at once. Complete your work partially, take a short break, and resume. Don't let procrastination get the best of you and make it a habit!

Do things you like

Often, we lose touch with things we like to do most as we get busy with life. You may as well utilise this break to reconnect with lost hobbies. Pick up an old hobby, or discover new ones —whatever your heart finds peace in. It can be drawing, painting, writing, cooking or reading, maybe it is finally time to get over that reading slack!

 "I was initially very upset when I saw all my friends around me getting jobs whereas I did not hear back from anywhere. But then I utilised my free time to cook and realised I have a knack and passion for cooking!" said Maheera, who just completed her internship.

Redirect your focus on health

As we get overburdened with work and classes, we often push down health in our priority list. In a worst-case scenario, we make it a habit to eat junk food and rarely exercise. You can utilise this break to turn around these unhealthy habits into healthier ones. Make it a routine to exercise daily and monitor your food intake.

 You can also try jogging regularly and making your own healthy meals. It is also important to take equal care of your mental health as you would for physical health. Yoga and meditation benefit both.

 "Since I started meditating every day, I believe every aspect of my life is more aligned and I feel so much at peace," remarked Sabrina, a fresh graduate.

Learn, explore and discover

 We always have a list of new year resolutions or a never-ending to-do list that we carry forward, literally every year and think of ticking it off when we finally have time. It can be learning an important skill such as swimming or driving, learning a new language, or maybe something you wanted to do since childhood such as riding a bicycle. 

 It can also be finally time to complete these chores as you can now afford the time.

 "I finally managed time to learn swimming as I am no longer surrounded by books and notes with constant deadlines. I am glad I got a break and utilised this transition period well," said Rafeeq, who recently completed his BBA degree. 

Revitalise bonds with near and dear ones

 As we try to juggle between part-time jobs and full-time education, we often lose touch with our circle of friends and relatives we have not met in a long time. They say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I say, when life gives you a lot of free time, use it to rejuvenate old bonds and make them stronger.

 Meet friends, go on hangouts, make up for the occasions you missed. You may finally even go to that long-awaited trip you always planned, but which never happened. It is a sad truth but sometimes, we even distance ourselves from family members living under the same roof. Spend the excess time you have with your parents and siblings, regenerate your bonds.

 This period of inactivity in our lives when we are hit with the reality check of being in a state of quarter-life crisis is tedious and onerous. Nevertheless, it is just a phase, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. Although everything seems to happen at a pace that is hard to grasp, your time to shine shall come.             

Photo: Collected