The journey from adolescence to adulthood often feels like a roller coaster ride, filled with exhilarating highs, unexpected twists, and daunting drops. While this transitional period, whether it be from high school to college, or college to the “real world”, can bring newfound freedom and opportunities, it can also present unique challenges, particularly when it comes to mental health. As young people navigate the uncharted waters of adulthood, they may encounter various stressors, uncertainties, and societal pressures that can significantly impact their mental well-being. Here are some of the reasons you might be struggling in this transitional period, and some of the things you might be struggling with:
Identity Exploration:
The transition to adulthood is marked by a profound search for a unique identity. Young adults tend to grapple with questions about their purpose, values, and passions, leading to internal conflicts, a lack of a sense of direction, and the need for boundary-setting with those closest to them. This period of exploration and self-discovery can place significant strain on mental health, as individuals strive to establish a sense of belonging and direction, while also figuring out who they are in the context of our world.
If you feel like you’re struggling to figure out who you really are and who you want to be, we’d recommend:
Journaling about the things that are most important to you, the things that bring you the most fulfillment, and the people, places, and things that make you feel most at ease.
Engaging in conversations with the people you look up to and the people you love. Talk to them about their journeys and passions. You might learn more about yourself than you think!
Try Therapy for Young Adults! A therapist can help you explore your identity from an intersectional, unbiased lens. We’re trained to ask the right questions to help you understand yourself better. If this would be your first time starting therapy, you might want to check out our blog about Effective Therapy Options in NYC.
Academic and Career Pressures:
The pursuit of higher education and the demands of career planning can be overwhelming for anyone, let alone the people who are doing it for the very first time. The pressure to excel academically, secure a promising career, and make life-altering decisions can contribute to anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy. It can be crucial to foster a healthy perspective on success, emphasizing personal growth, resilience, and the importance of self-care throughout the process. We know that can be hard, trust us, we feel it too, but we also know focusing on a holistic understanding of success can really help you feel grounded in the long term. If this is your first time planning for the future, here are some tips for doing so:
Planning For the Future:
Setting realistic goals for yourself that are both long-term and short-term. Smaller things, such as sending out a few job apps, as well as long-term things like owning your own business, can help you feel like you’re working toward something, but also fulfilling your need for accomplishment along the way. Make sure not to set anything in stone though… life tends to throw us curve balls when we least expect it!
Integrate a sense of balance in your life right from the start. That means finding time for things that bring you joy, spending time with people you love, and cultivating self-care practices.
Career counseling and therapy can also be great tools for managing the pressures of academia and career planning!
Financial Responsibilities:
Entering adulthood often involves taking on new financial responsibilities. The challenges of budgeting, managing debt, and finding stable employment can create substantial stress and anxiety. As a young adult, you may find yourself struggling with financial insecurity, or at least the threat of it, which can impact your mental well-being. Equipping yourself with financial literacy skills, developing an understanding of things like budgeting and saving, and learning about your relationship with money can mitigate some of the mental health challenges associated with financial responsibilities.
That last piece we just mentioned, the relationship with money, can be a tricky one to understand. Some people grew up in homes that really stressed the importance of saving, others didn’t have that luxury.
Questions you might want to ask yourself in beginning to understand your relationship with money include:
What kind of conversations did we have about money in my house growing up?
What do I feel when I think about spending money?
Have I ever felt secure in the amount of money I’ve had?
Social Relationships and Loneliness:
The transition to adulthood may bring about changes in social dynamics, with shifts in friendships, romantic relationships, and familial bonds. The pressure to maintain a thriving social life, coupled with feelings of loneliness or isolation, can profoundly impact mental health. As therapists, we encourage young adults to build supportive networks, foster a sense of belonging through community engagement, and promote open discussions about mental health.
We also wrote a blog about combating loneliness, which you can read here!
Emotional and Mental Resilience:
Adulthood demands emotional and mental resilience to navigate the complexities and uncertainties of life. Developing coping mechanisms, stress management techniques and self-care practices can be instrumental in maintaining good mental health.
Some things you can do to start developing those skills are:
Talking to your therapist, or starting to talk to a therapist if you don’t already have one!
Journaling
Finding a routine that works for you
Building a life around supporting your mental health, not the other way around.
The transition to adulthood can be a tumultuous and transformative period, riddled with mental health challenges. As a therapy practice, we get that and are here to support you through all of the ups and downs that come with growing into your true self and taking on the world by storm. If you think you could use some help, reach out to us today by filling out the form (link to the form) and setting up a free 20-minute consultation with one of our therapists!
Follow the steps below to get started:
Click here to share some information about you so that we can match you with the perfect therapist for your needs.
Have a low-pressure, 20-minute call with your therapist to make sure they are the right fit.
Schedule your first session and start on your journey to feeling better right away.
We offer specialized services for related issues like Anxiety, Depression, LGBTQ Affirming Therapy, and Therapy Specifically for Young Adults. We can help you feel less overwhelmed, more relaxed, and more like the self you want to be.