My Quarter Life Crisis: Navigating Life When You’re an Unconventional 25-Year-Old

I’m entering my mid-twenties and still don’t know what I’m doing with my life.

Sude Hammal
Human Parts

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Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

25; one-fourth of a century years of living in this world. This number manages to make you feel young and darn old at the same time. It’s such a transitional, milestone of an age. Nobody cares if you turn 37 or 53, but 25? It’s a huge marker. It holds major significance.

They say 18 is the entrance to adulthood but you’re nowhere near an adult; you’re still dealing with pubertal hormones. 21 is like a more official entrance to adulthood yet you’re generally still not in the position to make life-altering decisions; you enjoy parties and drinking instead.

Whereas 25? There’s no escape or point of return from there, you now entered the glamourous and painful reality of adulthood, where the quarter-life crisis engulfs you and pulls you in.

Quarter-life crisis is defined by clinical psychologist Alex Fowke as “a period of insecurity, doubt, and disappointment surrounding your career, relationships and financial situation” which is most commonly experienced from early twenties up to mid-thirties. But I think the age of 25 encapsulates this experience like no other.

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