Hattie Hamilton - How to Survive a Quarter-Life Crisis: A Comfort Blanket for Twenty-Somethings

HOW TO SURVIVE A QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS

Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2019

Text and illustrations by Anna Martin
Additional text by Hannah Adams

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

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INTRODUCTION

Are you feeling stressed, confused and found wanting in this world of supposed endless possibilities? Then youre not alone. A study of twenty- and thirty-somethings conducted by LinkedIn in 2018 discovered that over 70 per cent had experienced a quarter-life crisis, and over 30 per cent are currently experiencing one.

The struggle is real; out of nowhere, you suddenly feel the pressures of securing a career, earning good money (or at least enough to live on), getting onto the housing ladder and finding lasting love, all while maintaining that Insta-rosy glow on your social media. How has anyone successfully managed to navigate this endless maze of adulthood?

Rest assured, this book will carefully guide you through the choppy waters of your quarter-life crisis. With advice on how to find love without losing your mind, ways to build your skill set in a dead-end job, tips for coping with a filthy housemate and much more, you will soon be winning at life again.

TEN SIGNS YOURE HAVING A QUARTER LIFE CRISIS

You continually find yourself asking what your purpose in life is.

You cant decide if you want to be treated like an adult or mothered like a small child.

Your anxiety skyrockets when scrolling through the endless engagement and pregnancy posts from your friends on social media.

You spend most of your day fantasizing about living your cats life.

Youre 99.5 per cent sure that backpacking across Asia would fix your problems.

You buy branded items of clothing to convince yourself that youre not cripplingly broke.

You feel like a failure for still living at home or in a shared house (but a part of you is relieved you dont have to worry about even more bills and responsibilities).

Youd literally spend your last penny on a moment of clarity.

You now accept that you possess none of the answers. To be honest, youre not even sure what the questions are.

You picked up this book.

If you said yes to any of these points, its official: youre having a quarter-life crisis. But, fear not youre in the right place at the right time. Here is your life raft and comfort blanket rolled into one sweet package, which will help you to weather even the stormiest quarter-life crisis.

MY LIFE GOALS BEFORE 25 WHEN I WAS 20:

have a mortgage, become a CEO or social media sensation, have good hair, have my own sustainable coffee shop, travel to 98 countries.

MY LIFE GOALS ON THE EVE OF MY TWENTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY:

afford my rent without getting overdrawn this month, get at least two likes on my Instagram post of my new shoes, remember to pluck nose hairs before work, stop mislaying my refillable coffee cup, visit my parents once a month.

QUARTER LIFE CRISIS TOOLKIT

Lets get down to business youre going to need to arm yourself with a few essentials to get you through your mid-twenties malaise, plus this is the best excuse youll have all year to buy a large tote bag to lug your crisis kit around! Here are some essentials:

A craft of your choice (see page 98) just to keep those idle hands busy so youre not constantly reaching for your phone. Its the best way to banish those FOMO feelings.

A Why Im Great journal (which you can keep adding to) for noting down what makes you awesome its something to dip into when youre feeling like a pile of sh*t. Go one better and have a mighty fine selfie affixed to the cover!

Snacks plan these for the week ahead and hide them in the deepest recesses of your pockets, bags and dungarees, like sweet little surprises for future you. Fuelling up during a quarter-life crisis is essential, so you might as well make your taste buds tingle.

A charm or talisman to hold when youre feeling jittery, such as when you have a meeting at the bank or a job interview. Maybe dont bring your teddy or worry beads along for these appointments, but a crystal or small item of jewellery you can wear is ideal.

A smartphone but with timed access to social media. Think of social media like the hottest hottie ever but with a disgusting habit like picking their nose and eating it. Its fine in really small doses you can look and admire for a bit but after that, eugh.

Something that makes your heart go boom! This could be anything, from an image of your dream pet or next holiday destination to an article on resilience that makes you go F*ck yeah! Itll keep you going when you really, desperately want to tell your boss to stick it.

Copies of your CV because you never know whom youre going to meet.

Headphones to play those QLC tunes (see page 70).

Reusable coffee cup need I explain?

Career