Welcome to the Quarter Life Crisis

[Written with a good old nod to the The Guardian’s Pass Notes ]

Name: The Quarter Life Crisis (QLC)

Age: It’s hard to tell. Chaos for people in their mid-late twenties has been going on for years. But the Quarter Life Crisis is a relatively new term used to describe the stress experienced by 20-30 somethings as they enter the real world of adulthood.

Appearance: A looming cloud of reality – filled mostly with disappointment, questionable life choices and recycled clothes from the 90s.

That’s a strong look. I’ve never heard of the Quarter Life Crisis, what happened to the Mid Life Crisis? Well, Relevant Magazine  describes the Quarter Life Crisis as more of a transition than a crisis. But, as most researchers, blogs and articles will tell you, the QLC has similar components as the Mid Life Crisis but it’s happening at an earlier stage in life.

Ah I see, at a Quarter of the way through life? Nothing gets past you does it? According to Forbes and the Harvard Business Review, “the average age of depression has dropped from age 40-50 to mid 20s”. The QLC doesn’t necessarily happen at exactly a quarter of the way through life but it’s affecting millennials and 20-30 year olds.

Got it. So how do I know if I’m having a Quarter Life Crisis? Experts say there are several stages to the QLC. Life Hacker cites five stages – including feeling trapped by your own choices, wanting to ‘get out’, quitting a job / relationship or moving city as a means to make a change, rebuilding your life and, finally, developing new commitments more suited to your tastes.

Hmm I guess that explains the tattoo I got last weekend. And how a quiet drink on Friday with friends ended up in a nightclub called Dive at 4am wondering where my future husband could be. We’ve all been there.

Oh dear. Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Most people who have experienced the Quarter Life Crisis say they come out the other side as a better person. In the meantime, The Independent has put together a list of books to help us through it.

So, everyone’s talking about the Quarter Life Crisis? Pretty much, there’s even a Harry Potter inspired web series called ‘Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis’  which follows Hermione’s unexpected journey after Hogwarts.

Well if Hermione’s having a Quarter Life Crisis, I’m definitely fucked. Join the club.

Do say: Embrace the QLC!

Don’t say: You’re fine. You’re absolutely fine. Is everyone fine? (If we had a penny jar for the number of times people tell us we’re fine, we’d have paid off our student debt by now). Honestly, it’s fine.

I Want the Future Now