It’s been a long time since I’ve put my finger to keyboard in preparation for a post to show “live” on this website. And, to be fair I don’t have a reason other than what one would call burnout. In my mind, that word sounds harsher laid out then it does living in my head.
I won’t get into the nitty gritties of why I stopped writing, sharing, and expressing my interests in marketing like I used to since my college days. Maybe that’s what “transitioning into an adult” means. Whilst I’m freshly 25, it could be classified as a quarter life crisis.
Looking back to my last post, I had high ambitions. I was getting my thoughts together and couldn’t wait to share another series with you like I did in 2019 — what I called Blogtober.
I was planning out the different posts that I wanted to outline, write, edit, and edit again before sharing with all y’all. Sadly, creativity dipped, life got busy, and I chose to invest my time in other areas of my life. Those other areas were basically sleeping more, hanging out with my dog Sadie girl, and doing the daily operations to keep my life afloat. And, a few things led to this change in my life, but I don’t care to share it now, or potentially ever publicly.
What I can say is, I wasn’t doing the basic things that made me feel happy anymore. I didn’t want to workout, invest in my overall physical health, I wanted to stay inside staring at the TV, TikTok, or other outlets that didn’t require brain power after the allotted 9-5 responsibilities I held.
This eventually led to my personal downfall.
As things may look great on paper, I packed up all my things, filled my small Honda Accord with everything Sadie and I could get to fit, and headed to the mountains where my family ties reside. Not only is this a breath of fresh air to be in the mountains once again, but I was able to fall on my family and find “me” again.
If you’re ever faced with a similar epiphany, hear me out. You aren’t alone, you will never be alone, and you will figure it out. How you feel is valid and it won’t be the way you feel the rest of your life. But, “they” always say, you may not be in control of what you’re dealt, but you are in control of how you handle/deal with it.
You can take these ideas with a grain of salt, or you can try implementing them in your daily routines. Here’s what helped me not just stay afloat, but pull myself above water.
Search for “you” again.
If it’s not what you used to be like, embrace the new you. Everyone changes on their own time. If you stay the same person as you were 5 years ago, I would question your experiences.
Personally, I used to see it as a downfall when I came face to face with those in my younger years. “What if they think I am the same person I used to be?” “What if they think of me in a certain way because I dated [INSERT NAME HERE] person 5 years ago?” The list goes on. Simply stated, that holds you back. We all change, and change can, and hopefully, is a great thing.
Find the you that makes you happy. Try new things, get back to a healthy routine, expand your friend group, rekindle relationships that you once valued, and explore! Have fun with it, and see where your interests lie.
Experience the inexperienced.
The first tip leads into the second — open your mind to new thoughts, ideas, and ambitions without expectations to meet others.
When I was in high school and college, I was uncomfortably shy. I think about the dates and friendships that were held back to the stress of what others would think of me. Yet, I didn’t think about what could hold me back from my own potential.
College student that wanted to cry after every presentation turned sales girlie. Needless to say, I found my extroverted ways ditching expectations at the door, leaving my memories to wander what I would have been like if I ditched it sooner.
Embrace your emotions as they come.
This is the hardest thing I had to learn, and I am still growing in this area. When I was in high school and college, I took the idea of “keeping busy when you’re sad” to a whole other level. I worked 2-3 jobs while going to school full time, and invested heavily into my soon to be career post-college. Yet, I had no idea what to expect after I landed that job.
I worked so hard for so long to get where I wanted to, yet I started at square one with nothing by my side. I gave up everything to get where I was essentially to start over. By all means, that is not a bad thing, but more so a tough pill to swallow after reaching the unexpected.
Rounds and rounds of emotions and feelings surfaced for me. The workaholic me would have worked harder and longer to avoid confrontation, but the new me had to catch up. And by catching up I mean seek therapy and learn how to feel through emotions to set myself up for success. Consider the same if you’re agreeing while reading this line by line.
Don’t be threaded by societal barriers.
“You’re 25, what career path are you thinking about?” “Do you think they’re the one?” Etc.
The great questions you get when going back to a small town at the age of 25 is a punch to the gut. And, it may not be limited just to “small towns.”
Just because you are a certain age does not mean anything as long as you’re doing what your heart, mind, and body is longing for. If you don’t get married until you’re in your 30’s and you choose to have kids even later, I am so happy for you. And if you choose to do it fresh in your 20’s, I am also so happy for you.
We all have different paths in life. And just because a greater majority may do it differently does not mean you should feel pressured to follow suit.
Underthink, but be prepared.
This is something I am actively working on. I recently bought a book outlining ways to manage stress and anxiety. Even though I wouldn’t label my thoughts as stress and anxiety, I would say that I think about every negative thing under the sun that could go wrong in any situation.
I am talking about sitting on an airplane thinking about what could happen if it were to fall to my death or someone potentially spooking me on a walk. I wouldn’t say it’s always a bad thing, I just think about how I would react, and what would be the best way to do so. Call it project planning in some twisted way.
Recently I found out that it’s not healthy to think about everything horrible that could happen, but more so that you should think of the positive while being prepared for the inevitable. Now that’s something I do need to work on.
I drive up anxiety thinking horrible things could happen, and when they do, I still freak out. Instead, I am learning the ways of accepting things how they are, taking a deep breath (if needed) and planning accordingly after.
While all of these ideas may not resonate with you, I hope at least one did! Or, maybe you may not be faced with the same things I was/am at the age of 25. My “quarter life crisis.” Needless to say, I hope you’re living your best life, or about to. 🙂
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