AFTER the controversial announcement of the singer and actress Maris Racal and Rivermaya vocalist and chief songwriter Rico Blanco’s break up, the discussion about quarter life crisis suddenly emerged.

During her Star Magic press conference, Racal hinted at the reasons for their breakup, mentioning that she is going through personal changes.

With tears in her eyes, Racal said “If only I could skip through my twenties, you know, but I can’t.”

This statement opened a discussion among netizens on how hard it can be to deal with a quarter life crisis.

While people used social media to sympathize with the two, many of them shared their insight that Racal might be going through a quarter-life crisis, which is not an easy thing.

Understanding the quarter life crisis

Dealing with quarter life crisis is common among young adults, experts describe this as the stage where you feel stress, uncertainty, anxiety and self-doubt

It is often triggered around the time of someone’s life when they are figuring out who they are and what they want.

People who are experiencing this the most are the people who have begun their careers, entered committed relationships, just become financially independent, or just started families.

For some people, this stage sometimes gives a feeling of uncertainty, questioning their self sense, choices, relationship, and identity.

A quarter-life crisis can be a common experience for many young adults. Some individuals may view it as an opportunity for exploration, self-reflection, or discovery, leading to personal growth.

Typical age

People who are experiencing quarter life crises were in a period between adolescence and adulthood, or typically during mid-20s to early 30s.

People around these ages commonly question themselves, in terms of self identity, or career choices.

A lot of things can trigger a quarter life crisis such as adult obligations, social pressures and expectations, marriage, new responsibilities, buying a home, and stable full-time work.

Entering adulthood indeed may bring changes and firsts, achieving milestones.

How to deal with quarter life crisis

Navigating different phases of life can be quite challenging; while the quarter-life crisis is marked by uncertainties, there are ways to deal with this stage of life.

Engage in Self-Reflection – Self exploration and self reflection can be pivotal in shedding light on different aspects such as goals, values, and beliefs. 

Remembering that this stage of life is not uncommon, and it can be a way to understand yourself can also be helpful.

Spending your time in journaling, expressing yourself, thoughts, and goals through writing can be a great way to perceive what is the best about yourself.

While social life and support are necessary, alone time can also be beneficial during this phase. It allows you to learn the best about yourself without social pressure.

Let Go of Expectations – It is important to let go of the expectations from other people, it might be from your friends, colleagues, parents, and even expectations from yourself.

Change your inner dialogue and refrain from using the words like  ‘ought,’ ‘should,’ and ‘must’ which can create a pressure on yourself to follow a certain path which might trigger feelings of shame when those expectations aren’t fulfilled.

Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others – Comparison might be a natural inclination, however, it can frankly rob your joy.

It is difficult to look at the people around you and not to think that somehow, they have the life you always dreamed of.

Avoiding these can be a great help to deal with this phase, notice your comparative thought and limit being surrounded by these situations.

Instead, start perceiving your positive traits, focus on your strength, through these, you will learn how to love yourself, and can boost your self esteem.

Try new things – See it as an opportunity to get to know yourself so you can develop yourself stronger while you are in a quarter life crisis.

You must give yourself a chance to try the things you haven’t tried before, be with the place you haven’t been before, test some waters on who you are dating, or enter a different career.

Embrace experimentation without imposing limitations  on yourself.

Give Yourself Permission to Be Undecided and to Change – As a young adult, it’s also important to realize that you don’t need to have all the answers.

Allow yourself to figure out what life could look like, what you want, and what fulfills you the most.

Most of the cases, quarter life crisis allows you to explore, it is a way to discover, and look for the options. Trying things and finding out that it is not for you is fine enough.

Change is inevitable, you cannot escape it. So embracing these changes can make it easier to go through this transition.

While quarter life crises can be common for most people, it doesn’t mean that it does not affect your well-being, and your motivation.

The key at this stage is to continue learning more about yourself, clarify your values, explore your options, and make choices that you believe will benefit your future self.

With reports from Rose Cath Ogrimen