Are You Having a Quarter-Life Crisis?

We’ve all heard the term ‘mid-life crisis.’ In fact, we tend to associate it with mental images of balding men driving around in sports cars or with women who have had so much Botox, they look like they’re in a state of permanent shock. Shudder.

But have you ever heard the term ‘quarter-life crisis’?

No, no. The quarter-life crisis isn’t just something that your friend invented on the eve of her 25th birthday while she wept into a mountain of ice cream. It’s an actual, real thing that’s starting to affect women who are fresh out of college or in the middle of establishing themselves on the career ladder.

Basically, the quarter-life crisis mimics the mid-life crisis in many ways – the only difference? Eh…it occurs a decade or two earlier than usual and tends to strike between the ages of 25 and 30.

For years we’ve been told that once we get through our teens, it’s plain sailing all the way to retirement. Society has led us to believe that our teenage years (those rotten, moody, confusing years) are the worst times that we have to endure.

Unfortunately, the tables have turned and now it is our twenties/early thirties that are quickly becoming a nightmare.

When you hit your mid-twenties, things start to get real. You’ve left the protective bubble of college life and you’re thrust out into the big, bad world. Suddenly you have to start worrying about employment, making money, paying your rent, paying off your student loans and keeping all your relationships in check.

You have to start worrying about the state of the Irish economy – will it ever recover? Will you be able to keep your job? Can you afford to survive on what your employer is offering you?

Simply put, we have mass amounts of pressure and responsibility piled upon us in a very short amount of time. We don’t need to tell you how much havoc this kind of stress can create in your life, and often, it begins to manifest itself as a quarter-life crisis.

So how do you know if you’re suffering from the dreaded crisis then?

Here are a few of the most common symptoms:

• An inner knowing that something is wrong in your life.
• Feeling like you’re stuck in a rut.
• Feeling like you’re not doing well enough in your working life.
• Having no idea what you’re doing or where you’re going.
• Feeling bored – bored with your social life, your job, your friends, your relationships.
• Feeling a desperate need to settle down, get married or have a baby.
• Intense feelings of loneliness.
• Financial stress.
• A general feeling of anxiety, dread and restlessness.

Basically, if you feel like your life has ground to a massive halt and if you’re struggling to find the fun and joy in every day, chances are it’s time you sat down and had a good, hard think about what you’re doing, what you want and where you’re headed.

Remember: life is not supposed to be a chore, it’s supposed to be an experience – an awesome, wonderful, exciting, fun experience. If you’re not having fun, then it’s time for a major rethink.

According to researchers at Greenwich University in London, the common quarter-life crisis can last for two years. But don’t despair. In retrospect, most people say that undergoing a quarter-life crisis was actually a positive experience because it helped them to realise just what it is that they wanted from their lives.

Want to learn how you can shake off the cobwebs, kick start your life and start having fun again? Then check out part two, where we’ll be showing you how to get out of that grey funk and start living again.