Becoming a young adult, becoming independent, and taking on new responsibilities in life all come with a lot of uncertainties, a lot of unknowns, and a lot of expectations. You’re expected to know who you are and what makes you happy, find a career, find what you’re passionate about, financially support yourself, cultivate a healthy lifestyle, eat right, sleep enough, exercise, find a partner, and there seems to be a timeline to get there!
Guess what? If you feel overwhelmed, scared, and unsure of your goals, that’s okay! It’s important to remember that everyone’s journey looks different and we all have different timelines. Also remember that we all have different goals. It’s okay if your goals look different than others goals.
It’s easy to feel isolated during this period of your life. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. Especially if you’re scrolling on social media and see engagement posts, pregnancy announcements, people buying their first house, or getting promoted, it is hard not to compare and feel down about yourself. Due to this, many young adults may feel their mental health slipping. They may experience depression, self-doubt, anxiety, hesitation, imposter syndrome, loneliness, ect.
Those are completely valid feelings, but you don’t have to let it consume you! Learning how to acknowledge and handle your mental health is a critical life skill, and there is no shame in seeking help for your mental health. Talking about your mental health issues can not only provide guidance, but it can help you better understand yourself and how to plan for the future.
Just know that you’re not alone, and there are many people who understand what you’re going through. This is the first step to managing fear surrounding all of a sudden being an adult.
Take a few minutes and think about what fears you have about being a young adult. Write them down. Getting very clear about what emotions and thoughts you are experiencing about adulting helps you then take control and be better able to managing fear and this whirlwind of your feelings.
I bet most people at this stage of life would relate to your experience. It can be helpful to get support to know that you are not alone.
Knowledge is power! A huge way to regulate your emotions around being an adult is to learn how to adult in the real world. They don’t teach you these things in school and that leaves you lost and confused. When you have the information and can then create a plan of action the fears will slip away.
Once of the biggest struggles of young adulthood is understanding how to manage money. For some tips and strategies to help navigate this struggle, grab a copy of my FREE budgeting checklist. Learn how to make the seemingly unmanageable stress of money become less scary and unmanageable make your money work for YOU!
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