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Six in ten millennials are suffering from a “quarter-life crisis,” according to a new poll of 2,000 people between the ages of 25 and 35-years-old. The results of the study found that 56 percent of the respondents are struggling to cope with financial, career and personal pressures.
53 percent of these same young adults say they are finding it difficult to make ends meet, and a third reveal their current living situation has led to feelings of despair.
While 28 percent are coping with the shock of a challenging job, simply trying to find a job has stressed out 23 percent of those polled. Other facts contributing to the “quarter-life crisis” include attempting to buying one’s first house and the lack of a romantic relationship.
These issues have led the average millennial to say they have felt like they were at rock bottom for over six months as they struggle to sort their lives out. However, 50 percent are choosing to believe their personal difficulties now will be a catalyst for positive changes in their future.
first direct, which carried out the study, has teamed up with psychologist, Dr. Oliver Robinson, Quarter-Life Crisis Expert and Senior Lecturer for Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Social Work & Counseling at the University of Greenwich, to look at how people can use a crisis as a spark for change.
Dr. Robinson, who focuses on how identity, well-being and mental health are affected by major life transitions, crises and ageing processes during adulthood, says, “There’s two sides to a quarter-life crisis. They’re often feared as periods of difficulty and distress, but in my experience they can also be times of openness, curiosity and growth. People may find old habits and coping mechanisms no longer help in the way they used to, and this can act as a spur to explore new ideas, new activities and new ways of overcoming life’s challenges.”
Interestingly, when asked to describe how they’ve been feeling over the past six months, “anxious,” “frustrated,” “confused” and “sad” were among the most common descriptions millennials used, while only 27 percent said “optimistic.”
The study also found that 18 percent of young adults aren’t coping well with the fact their relationship with their parents is difficult, and similarly 25 percent say their romantic relationship is hard work.
However, during a period of crisis, only 37 percent of young adults know who to turn to, or where to go for advice, while those who do seek help tend to reach out to family members or good friends in person (40 percent respectively).
Despite their “quarter-life crisis,” only one out of ten polled said they have considered using a therapist when things are bad, and just two percent have a mentor to help get them through trickier times.
TOP CAUSES OF A “QUARTER LIFE CRISIS”
1. Financial difficulties
2. Living situation
3. Working in a challenging job
4. Lack of romantic relationship
5. Being in a challenging romantic relationship
6. Trying to find a job
7. Relationship with parents
8. Trying to purchase their first home
9. Reading the news
10. Social media
Zoe Burns-Shore, Head of Culture at first direct, which commissioned the research via OnePoll.com said, “We know people today go through major life changes in a way that’s so different to previous generations. first direct has never been about telling people what to do, but we know this is a very real issue for many people today. By teaming up with Dr. Robinson we want to highlight how people have actually found the quarter life crisis to be a catalyst for positive change. And by sharing the theory and experiences we hope we can help people reframe the way they think about difficult times.”
first direct and Dr. Robinson have launched a guide called How To Turn Your Quarter-Life Crisis Into A Quarter-Life Catalyst, which outlines the two types of quarter life crises – the “Locked in” type and the “Locked out” type – and details the stages people go through within each one. The guide is available on first direct’s website.
[SWNS Digital]