Adjusting to Adulthood
October 26, 2022
Informational,Uncategorized
Helping Young Adults Gain the Confidence They Need to Lead Their Life
The concept of “adulting” has gained popularity in recent years, referring to the process of transitioning into adulthood and taking on responsibilities such as making decisions about one’s career and personal life.
For many young adults, the transition into adulthood can be overwhelming and intimidating. These newfound responsibilities and challenges create a heavy amount of stress, which can often lead to addiction. It’s important to recognize these adjustments and take the necessary steps to ensure that we are equipped with confidence rather than various substances.
Financial Adjustment
One important aspect of adulting is taking control of finances. This is perhaps the most frightening aspect of adulting because parents can’t be relied on for money anymore. Because of this, it forces us to “live within our means”. So, what does living within our means actually mean? Essentially, we need to manage our finances based on our available money and a great way to do that is to create a budget. A budget helps with tracking expenses, thus being able to make smart decisions about where to spend money.
Although a budget might seem daunting, it can be extremely helpful. By having a list of income and expenses, it will be easier to save money for emergencies and future goals. It can also mean learning how to use credit responsibly and avoid falling into debt.
Finding and maintaining a job is crucial to the adulting process. This can involve searching for job opportunities, networking, and building a professional skill set. As many young adults may not have much experience, an entry-level job is a great way to gain said experience and build the necessary skills. Then, this will open the door for more opportunities that align with your interests.
Emotional Adjustment
Another key aspect of adulting is being able to face the unknown. It’s only natural for us to feel afraid of what we don’t know. Quite often we compare ourselves to people our same age, such as former classmates. Everyone is surrounded by different circumstances, hardships, and timelines so it’s unfair to make that comparison – it only leads to unnecessary stress and negative coping habits.
In order to make the unknown a normality, time management becomes a huge ally. If we plan out our schedule – meals, activities, work, sleep – for the day and for the upcoming week, the unknown becomes known. Always have a “Plan B” at the ready, just in case the unexpected arises. Having a solid schedule will significantly reduce the urge for substance abuse.
How Loved Ones can Help
Sometimes we can feel anger or resentment toward our parents or loved ones if we feel they haven’t properly prepared us for the adulting world. This in turn could lead to depression or a feeling of emptiness, hopelessness, or isolation, which in turn could lead to alcohol abuse and/or drug addiction.
One way to avoid substance addiction treatment is by building and maintaining healthy relationships with our loved ones. We can accomplish this through communication. For example, it’s important that our loved ones reach out to us regularly. Just a simple check-in will make us feel less alone and will lift the weight of the world off our shoulders.
Our loved ones have been or are currently going through the adulting process, so it’s helpful for them to drop any words of wisdom they may have about any specific challenges and how they were overcome.
Overall, the process of adulting is about taking control of our lives and making the decisions that are right for us. It can be challenging, but with time and practice, it becomes easier and more rewarding. The confidence we gain in doing so will diminish mental and physical stress and eliminate the need for detoxification.