Quarter-life crisis

If you’ve never heard of quarter-life crisis, you’re probably wondering what it is. People in their quarter-life are in their twenties all the way through their early thirties. These people are young and energetic, what problems could they be going through that warrants the name crisis? As it turns out, they are going through a lot. 

Quarter-life crisis a period of insecurity and confusion about your life direction, career, and financial situation. This doubt and confusion about life begins after entering the ‘real world’. After graduation or after moving out of your parents' house, this is when your real life begins. This is when you become your own responsibility, nobody telling you what to do and what not to do. You transition from being a child who operates on the acquisition of rewards to an adult who reasons, who plans, and organizes their life according to what they want.

This is when your whole dynamic shifts. You start to question the direction of your life. Who am I? What is my purpose? What career path should I take? When you start asking yourself these questions, congratulations, you have unlocked the quarter-life crisis level. But worry not, it’s absolutely normal.

But given that our whole childhood is training us to be adults, why is it then that when we become mature and functioning members of the society, our whole system crashes? Recent research has shown that there are causes that bring about this crisis.

One of the causes of quarter-life crisis is unemployment. I don’t need to tell you that unemployment is a problem that has been festering in Kenya for too long, you probably know this all too well yourself. I bet you know a person or two or more who are well qualified but are still living at home because they are unemployed. When you are qualified but unemployed, you begin to question your whole life. You question your worth as a human being. This is one of the cornerstones of quarter-life crisis.

Another cause is the pressure of choosing a career path. Your career defines who you are. Your career will affect how your life turns out. Am I a teacher, or am I an entrepreneur? This is how you’ll introduce yourself to people. There’s a lot of pressure on this. This is usually accompanied by indecisiveness. Should I choose a career I want, or should I choose a career that pays? If you find yourself in this situation, take a seat darling, you are right in the middle of your quarter-life crisis.

Moving out is another cause. Moving out is the cause for celebration; no more curfew hours and no more washing dishes. How, you ask? I’ll eat out all the time, simple. Expectations for living alone is usually at the top of Mt. Kenya, but when you finally enter that bedsitter and your mattress is on the floor, reality sets in. How will I survive?

Comparing your life with that of your peers is normal, and it's also another cause for this crisis. Instagram facilitates this comparison beautifully. While I’m at home eating githeri in my pajamas, someone is posting about lobster and a glass of mimosa. How can I not compare? You check your Facebook or Instagram account, and within thirty minutes, you know your friend is getting married, another is pregnant, and the other just got promoted at work. This comparison is bound to bring depression and quarter-life crisis.

Gloomy business, right? I know all seems lost, but there are things you can do to help ease the situation. Talk to your friends. Talk to them about your challenges, ask them how they are. By sharing your challenges, you may just find a solution. Also, talk to a mentor. Someone who is successful and has been where you are. He or she will surely help by offering words of wisdom that may change your life. To manage this quarter-life crisis, you can also start a side hustle. Write a blog, sell items online, this will provide a safety net and you won’t feel so lost.

Also, stop comparing your life with that of others. You should always remember that on the ground, things are different. Last but not least, remember life is an exam, and everyone has a different question paper.