Navigating Quarter-Life Crisis: Unpacking the Psychology of Your 20s - Jemma Sbeghen

The 20s are a time to embrace feeling lost and trying different things. Gemma, host of 'Psychology of Your 20s' podcast, discusses the challenges and changes in this phase.

The quarter life crisis occurs between the ages of around 20 to 30 and involves experiencing a sense of anxiety, dread, stress, and the need for spontaneity. It is driven by modern phenomena such as increased career opportunities, social media comparison, environmental factors like recession and climate uncertainty. This creates a feeling of being lost due to overwhelming life choices.

The Paradox of Choice Having too many options can lead to decision paralysis and decreased likelihood of making a choice. An experiment with jam sales showed that people were more likely to purchase when presented with fewer choices. Feeling lost or directionless is not necessarily negative, but rather an abundance of opportunity.

Embracing the Unknown A lack of direction can be liberating as it signifies an abundance of opportunities. Instead of focusing on specific milestones or decisions, imagine how you want your life to feel like in the future. It's okay to feel lost in your 20s and explore different paths before finding your way.

The concept of life being like a picture but lived in pixels, as described by Tim Urban, highlights the idea that happiness and success are found in the day-to-day moments rather than the broader picture. It emphasizes focusing on the feelings we want to have each day instead of over-indexing on long-term goals.

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Youthful Freedom vs. Pressure Quarter-Life Crisis: Letting Loose in Youthful Years

Affordable and Healthy Meal Option Friendships are the most important relationships in our 20s. A nutritionally complete, affordable, and healthy meal option is available at heal.com/deepdive for just one pound 68 per meal with a free t-shirt and shaker bottle included.

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The importance of friendships and relationships in our 20s, focusing on the struggle to find the right people and combat loneliness. Making time for friends is crucial for mental health and combating feelings of being alone.

Loneliness is not just a problem for the elderly, but also affects people in their 20s who feel lost and disconnected. Building the habit of being comfortable alone involves dedicating time to experience solitude without distractions such as TV or phone. Engaging in activities like journaling helps understand oneself and accept loneliness as part of life.

Maintaining Friendships Through Scheduling The speaker takes scheduling time with friends seriously, setting default slots in the calendar for dinners and brunches. However, the busy schedule often leads to neglecting alone time and self-reflection. The habit of journaling prompts helps in reflecting on personal values and emotions.

Challenges of Maintaining Friendships After University After university, maintaining friendships becomes challenging due to busy schedules and geographical distance. Taking initiative is crucial for maintaining pre-existing relationships by organizing regular gatherings like Sunday dinner or Saturday brunch Club. Consistently participating in hobbies or activities can help build new friendships through shared interests.

Building New Friendships Through Active Listening Active listening is a key skill for building new friendships at any age. It involves engaging with others' stories both verbally and non-verbally while imagining their experiences as your own. Additionally, recognizing body cues plays an important role in making others feel comfortable during conversations.

Setting boundaries involves active and passive responses, with the most energizing being active constructive. This response involves building on someone's news and genuinely sharing their excitement. It's important to reciprocate good energy from others and greet people effusively to start interactions positively.

Setting Boundaries in Relationships Understanding what we want from relationships, learning to communicate boundaries without fear of hurting feelings. Compassionate people have the best boundaries.

Career Development Habits in Your 20s Stepping out of comfort zone, cultivating habits for career growth and balance. Act your wage vs act above your wage: balancing recognition and self-worth.

Navigating Job Hunt and Job Hopping Job hunting as a means to find fulfillment; job hopping for continuous engagement and skill development. Changing roles within a company versus changing jobs outside it.

Leveraging Job Opportunities for Growth Tom, a go-getter with self-awareness, leverages job opportunities to gain more responsibility and promotions. He avoids job hopping but takes calculated risks to learn and grow in his career. The idea is not to be doing the same thing at 35 as you were at 22.

Balancing Work Life through Daily Activities and Weekends The speaker recommends categorizing daily activities into five buckets: physical, mental, practical, social, spiritual/hobbies. This approach helps achieve work-life balance by ensuring fulfillment in all areas of life beyond work. Additionally, taking advantage of Sundays for reset and recharge is suggested for maintaining balance.

Finding Your Identity The concept of finding one's identity is explored through the idea of a nine-day fortnight, which allows for better work-life balance and prioritization. The ideal week method is introduced as a tool to intentionally plan how time is spent, emphasizing the importance of values in decision-making.

Confidence & True Self Navigating confidence and true self in your 20s involves understanding that the 'true self' is ever-changing. Identifying core values becomes crucial during this period, with an exercise recommended to clarify personal values and align them with life choices.

Quarter-Life Struggles Getting comfortable with disappointing others and embracing authenticity are highlighted as essential strategies for living authentically. The advice concludes by acknowledging that navigating quarter-life struggles in one's 20s can be isolating but common, encouraging individuals to persevere through it.