When everything you do feels like a total waste of time.
When even the smallest exertion seems to suck the life out of you.
When you need to put in actual effort to get out of bed and do something productive.
When you’re clueless about what you’re going to do after graduation and have absolutely no idea about where your life is heading… That’s when you know that you’re slowly approaching a quarter-life crisis.
A few years ago, life seemed so settled and it felt like you had it all figured out. Obstacles felt like a pathway to success and everything seemed much easier because you had your family to support you and take care of you. But then, all of a sudden people expected you to make life decisions all on your own,told you that you were supposed to grow up and get your life together.
It was already time to grow up? When did that happen?
One moment you were at home, joking and laughing around with your family and then suddenly you’re in a different city and a new apartment – Like it or not, this is how life’s going to be from now on.
There is this constant battle between knowing that you should grow up and wanting to remain a kid.
Nevertheless, you learn to adapt and to survive.
You give it your best shot by actively participating in college activities and doing part time jobs or if you’re working then you give your 100% at work and for a while you feel like you’ve finally gotten the hang of it. But somewhere deep inside,you have this sense of loss, a desire to go back in time and stay there.
Abandonment issues, trust issues, commitment issues, security issues – all take a toll on your life. You feel worthless and nothing makes sense any more. You’re always in a daze and all you want to do is pack up and leave for good. All around you, you see people struggling to make it through the day and you realize that you’re part of the crowd, competing for better grades, better jobs and for a better life.
You start pushing yourself too hard and start to underestimate your abilities. You start comparing your journey with other people’s journey and end up making yourself more miserable.
Quarter-life crisis has almost become an almost inevitable part of our lives and it seems next to impossible to recover from it. All we can do protect ourselves is to learn to give ourselves a break and to not be too harsh while dealing with ourselves.
Yes, life is difficult and you need to give your best in everything, but it’s okay to not be able to accomplish everything all the time. It’s okay to have a breakdown and it’s okay to want to go running back home to all the love,warmth and security.
Your GPA and your salary is not who you are. You are more than that.
You deserve a break and if that’s what you need to come back a stronger person, so be it. If you need to be alone and forget about all worldly commitments and attachments, then you do that, you do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel better about life and about existing.
We all have a place in this world and as impossible as it seems right now, we’ll all get there someday and we’ll figure it out. Till then, just remember that your mental health and happiness is more important than any deadline or any examination.
Take a break-stay at home all day or go on a trip-do what you WANT to do and not just what you have to do in order to survive in this world. Give yourself the love and attention that you deserve and see how slowly but steadily everything will work itself out.
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