The rise of the quarter-life crisis: 3 in 4 Brits have had one, new research shows

No, you’re not alone. Everyone else is having a quarter-life crisis too
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It’s really no surprise that London is filled with young people in the midst of a quarter-life crisis.

With the property ladder being harder to join than ever before, the workforce being highly competitive and dating apps creating a culture where ghosting is the norm, it’s easy to reassess whether your life is headed in the direction you want.

Now new research from LinkedIn has revealed 72 per cent of young professionals in the UK have had a quarter-life crisis - most occurring around the age of 26.

As someone in her mid-twenties, I have already been through two mini quarter-life crises.

The first, was when I was just starting out in journalism. Being a journalist is all I’ve ever wanted to do but for a good month when I was two years into my degree, I thought I was making a mistake and should have been a midwife instead. But then I remembered that I’m not a fan of blood and that was that.

The second, more recently, was after a relationship came to an end. While break ups throw you off-balance anyway, it made me take a step back and re-evaluate my priorities, goals and whether I should continue to live in London (away from my native New Zealand) with the cost of living so high and little chance to save.

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So I flew home to New Zealand for two weeks and immediately snapped out of it. While I love NZ, at this stage in life I crave the hustle and bustle which London gladly supplies in droves.

Psychologist, Dr Alex Fowke defines the quarter-life crisis as “a period of insecurity, doubt and disappointment surrounding your career, relationships and financial situation.

“This can stem from a period of life following the major changes of adolescence, when a person starts to doubt their own lives and begins to face the extent of the stresses associated with becoming an adult.”

According to the research carried out by LinkedIn, the biggest pressure that young professionals are currently facing is attempting to get on the property ladder (go figure).

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This is equal with finding a career they are passionate about, followed by finding a life partner.

Dr Fowke added: “Nowadays, twenty-somethings are under intense pressure to get themselves onto the housing market, navigate the increasingly complex professional landscape, struggle to maintain relationships and are commonly subjected to a distorted notion of life through social media.

“Literature suggests that key challenges faced by people aged from between 18 and 35 can include identity confusion, internal conflict (failing to reach the expectations set for themselves) and uncertainty.”

LinkedIn’s research backed up these sentiments as 31 per cent of those surveyed said they felt they had wasted years in the wrong job, 34 per cent have relocated to another city or country and 35 per cent have changed their career entirely.

The average quarter-life crisis lasts 11 months (meaning I may not have had my 'big one' yet, eek) and London residents are the fourth most-likely to experience them in the UK.

Over 82 per cent of the young residents of Liverpool will experience a quarter-life crisis, followed by Cardiff and Norwich.

Darain Faraz, Careers Expert at LinkedIn said: “We know that being a twenty-something in today’s society can be a daunting prospect with added pressures from modern day factors such as social media, getting on the housing ladder and finding your dream career. Unsurprisingly, just under three-quarters of this age bracket have, or still are, feeling a bit lost or have a distorted perception of their accomplishments.

“However, we see the quarter-life crisis as positive, one that enables you to take a step back, re-address the situation and make a positive impact on your happiness.”

Dan’s number one tip is to stop comparing yourself to others. He said comparing your career trajectory, along with relationship and financial status with others is a sure-fire way to bolster the feelings of disappointment and underachievement.

Young people also need to identify the root cause of the crisis, whether it be work pressures or family expectations, writing down what makes you nervous about the future can help you to address the problem.

Quarter-life crises are a bi-product of the society we live in today. In this social media age, comparing yourself to others is something we subconsciously do, but it’s doing more harm than good.

It’s best to remember that if you are going through a quarter-life crisis, you are not alone. It’s likely that your friends, siblings or co-workers are going through the same thing, so talk to people about it. You never know where it will lead you.

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