Are you one of those people who strive to survive despite the struggles of bills, debts, relationships, and careers that come with adulting? It’s a transitional stage wherein plenty of young adults experience anxiety and depression. Often, we feel like going back to our teenage or kindergarten years when problems and worries were small. The reality is that as we turn into adults, we become more anxious about our daily needs to survive.
The teen-to-young adult transition, which generally occurs between the ages of 18 and 25 entails significant life transitions, including finishing a degree, getting a career, becoming financially independent to live alone, being in an intimate serious relationship with someone, adapting to changes in environment, and of course, the professional identities we choose to take on. It takes a toll on a lot of people.
Like walking on eggshells, we’re always under pressure to make ends meet while thinking about how not to disappoint our family and relatives.
As we mature, people around us place higher expectations, too. This comes with emotional tension since those who invested in us, like our parents or relatives who provided financial aid for our education, want us to live up to their presumptions. Thus, throughout this period, we experience a surreal sense of anxiety and fear that we might not reach the standard they’d set. Like walking on eggshells, we’re always under pressure to make ends meet while thinking about how not to disappoint our family and relatives.
As a young adult, the journey is not simple. We face different challenges in our careers, finances, and relationships. Oftentimes, we face these alone – and because the battles can be unbearable, many young people resort to harmful refuge, feeling like there is no way out.
For those who are trying their hardest to skate through adulthood, know that there are people out there to reach out to while you traverse these vast empty oceans of mixed feelings and troublesome emotions. Try to reconnect with people whom you can trust and would understand your troubles.
Rooting for those who, like us, are discreetly fighting their wars, going the extra mile in lending a hand wouldn’t be that bad at all. If you too are crossing this bridge in life right now, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Talk to someone you know who would genuinely hear you out without filters. Always feel the pains and struggles of young adulthood, all its ebbs and flows, because these are valid feelings that demand to be felt. Remember that these too shall pass. It might not get better instantly, but time heals and time shapes. Past mistakes are our best teachers and the future depends on now.
