Quarter life crisis can set in by mid-twenties to early thirties and it’s a very common happening among millennials. Therefore, these days, experiencing burnout can occur earlier than midlife.
In my professional opinion, this happens when a person feels they haven’t reached their full potential. Or, they haven’t been able to achieve certain goals they had in mind particularly by quarter life.
Frankly, they feel like they’ve hit a rough patch or are experiencing a series of low points in their life.
Oftentimes, this is characterized by a disconnect from one’s identity, derailing from their purpose in life, and an inability to transition to where they think they should be.
Preventing quarter life crisis or burnout is possible by keeping the following five rules in mind.
Top 5 Rules for Quarter-Life Burnout
- Create a plan of action of what you truly want to do in life.
- Don’t conform to societal or parental pressures of what you should be doing.
- Don’t give up too easily just because you haven’t met your goals. As long as you’re alive, every goal is achievable.
- Be grateful for what you have and don’t dwell on what you don’t have.
- Live your life with joy and purpose. A life with meaning is more fulfilling than a life with money.
Healthy Solutions to Overcome Crisis at an Early Age
For those folks who are currently suffering from quarter life crisis, here’s my advice for effectively dealing with it.
1) Don’t Give Up
Don’t give up too early because you feel like a situation isn’t what you expected or you haven’t achieved certain goals. A big part of life is being able to figure out solutions to the problems you’re experiencing.
Employing problem-solving skills and being able to adapt are traits that will take you far in life. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that goals can still be achieved even if they weren’t accomplished according to your timeline.
2) Manage Your Emotions
Learn to effectively manage your emotions and level-set your personal expectations. Becoming self-aware is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
Not only will you be able to understand why you feel the way you do, you’ll also be able to understand why you react in certain ways with certain people and the situations you may encounter.
3) Get Trusted Advice From Others
Speak to people who are in your same age bracket to find out how they deal with and manage the stress in their life.
Sometimes, all we need is to know that we’re not alone in the way we feel and that there are other people who can relate to our situation.
The Importance of Managing Negative Emotions
Quarter life crisis is indeed real. There are theories on the internet that suggest it’s simply a figment of the imagination and that younger adults need to chalk it up. Truth is, your emotions are real to you.
It’s important to recognize if your emotions are healthy or on the verge of bringing on more pressing issues like depression.
While we all have the power to overcome self-doubt, self-loathing, and negative thinking, some thoughts require specialized help to overcome.
If burnout at an early age has caused you to think of harming yourself or others, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.com.
On the other hand, if you’re able to effectively manage your emotions, then visit www.BTBPbook.com for more helpful advice. Plus, feel free to reach out to me, Avni Parekh, directly by filling out the contact form.