Why Can’t I Adult? Addressing Anxiety From Being a “Grown-Up”
Academic Challenges
With each generation of students, the educational bar gets set higher and higher. Grade school and high school are tough, but they still have buffers in the way of teachers and principals who want you to excel. There are limits placed on assignments, and many schools have study halls built into the curriculum. Those lunch periods and recess never hurt, either.
The transition to college or graduate school comes with a whole different outlook. Professors are there to teach but aren’t going to hold your hand through the coursework. Assignments may be all-consuming and take more time than you would like to give them. It is much easier to fall behind and feel anxious in this setting than ever before.
Work Challenges
After graduation, the expectation is to find a job and make a living. Over the last decade or so, there has been a recession, a global pandemic, more talk of another recession, inflation, and a new way of life in general post-pandemic. Finding a job isn’t always easy. Finding the dream job can seem impossible. Finding a job you love may even feel far-fetched at this point. In a world with endless options, it can also be hard to narrow down what you want to do for the rest of your career.
Once you have the job, navigating a healthy work-life balance can take time and effort. Finding a supportive environment that meets your needs isn’t always easy. Office dynamics may add stress to your life that you don’t know how to overcome. Coping strategies are vital to managing work anxiety.
Personal Relationships
Friendships you had in your younger years may take a hit once you reach adulthood. People have less time for the usual social gatherings, and it becomes harder to maintain those relationships. The circle of people you call close friends might shrink, which is ok. It takes different efforts to socialize, and you learn who your true friends are during these times.
Social norms also cause stress when it comes to romantic relationships. By a certain age, if you aren’t married and having children, there is a stigma that something is wrong with you. When the time is right, things will happen. It is fully acceptable to operate on your own timeline.
Financial Challenges
The world we are currently living in is expensive. Without the assistance of parents or guardians, it can be challenging to try to afford all the luxuries, wants, or even needs in life. Budgeting can be a daunting task, and many never learn the skills to successfully prepare for entry into adulthood or for the back end of retirement. Add in filing taxes, buying a home, affording emergency purchases, and filing claims in the event something goes wrong. It’s no wonder the struggle is real with adulting.
Having anxiety may not be able to be prevented with the transition into adulthood, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, let’s talk about it.