Recently I’ve been going through what I’ve diagnosed as a “Quarter Life Crisis”. You know, when you start seconding guessing your undergrad, questioning the person your turning into, fueled by the impulse to dye your hair and reconstruct your entire wardrobe, all at once.Maybe it’s because I’m finishing my last year of university, which seems to have flown by, compelling me to realize that the status of a University Graduate demands a newfound responsibility which I’m not sure I’m ready to take on. I’m under the assumption that there is no way I’m the only one going through this, so after looking deep into my soul and trying to navigate with my moral compass, here are a few tips I’ve discovered to keep your mind at ease, and ultimately enjoy your twenties rather than freaking out about all that the future holds.
1. Say Yes. Remember the movie, Yes Man? Yeah. In a less dramatic way, say yes to new things; say yes to things that make you uncomfortable, that remove you from your comfort zone. You’ll be less concerned with the little things because you’re going to be indulging in new experiences. And what better way to spend your twenties?
2. Under go whatever personal transformation you feel necessary. Within price reason, I’m not saying hit up Artizia and buy every piece of their new fall collection, but if your craving a hair change, or itching to buy those pleather pants you’ve considered for quite some time. Do it. Dye your hair pink, and experiment with that hipster swag. Now is the time to test the limits and act like whatever chameleon you’re feeling.
3. Know it is okay to change your mind. I think we are all so concerned that we are going to make the wrong choices, or that we have grown out of our old mind set, and that’s okay. We’re living in a time of the indecisiveness, forced by choices we made when we were 18, if you come to the conclusion you don’t want a job in the industry you’ve been studying, that’s okay. University doesn’t dictate your future.
4. Travel. Be Wanderlust. Go soak up the sun in California, go watch the northern lights in Alaska, heck go ride a camel through the desert. See all the sights you hope to see because eventually you’ll be paying off a mortgage not a student loan.
5. Date as much as you can. Meet new people, go on awkward dates, be available. Life is to short and everyone is too caught up on finding their prince charming. Now is the only time you get to be selfish. Worst case scenario you end up kissing some frogs, but it makes for great stories the next time you crack a bottle of wine with the ladies.
6. Find comfort in your own skin. We are all too self-conscious and overly concerned with everyone else’s opinion. If you plan on moving around and traveling, you’ll never be in one place long enough to care about what those people think of you. Just be happy with where you are right now. This is who you are; honour it, appreciate it, because a year from now things will be different.
7. Enjoy the company of those around you. Take a minute to think of all the beautiful souls that currently surround you. If you have plans to travel and explore then you won’t have the company of these amazing individuals for long, we are always too busy missing someone, so just stop for a minute and cherish the time you have right now.
More importantly just remember this is one chapter of your life, one that everyone is envious of, one that allows you to be whoever you want, one that is meant for mistakes and strictly devoted to selfish little you. Enjoy it.
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