Encountering a Quarter-life Crisis? Here's What You Can Do to Navigate Your Career Crossroads

By now you’ve likely heard of the quarter-life crisis — a period of insecurity and doubt that many people in their mid-20s to early 30s go through surrounding their career, relationships, and finances. Chances are, you may have experience your own. In fact, 75% of 25-33-year-olds have experienced a quarter-life crisis, often related to feeling like they are at a crossroad in their career. If you feel like you're suffering your own mid-twenties-to-thirties crisis, here are some tips to deal with it:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.

A sure-fire way to bolster the feelings of disappointment and underachievement is to compare your own career trajectory to your peers. Remember that everyone is at a different stage of their journey, so don’t compare yourself to others — whatever your definition of success is and whatever makes you happy is enough.

2. Take a step back.

It’s easy to be weighed down with all of the pressures of work and family expectations, often making you too close to the situation. Take a step back and write down what is making you most nervous, be it saving, not being happy in your current industry or even your personal relationships. This will allow you to address the problem and stand you in good stead to talk to others.

3. Be kind to yourself.

Going through the quarter-life crisis can be an arduous process and exacerbated by becoming your own worst critic. Remind yourself it’s a positive experience that will hopefully enable you to make a change and progress, both with your career and with your life, eventually making you happier in the long-run. As you can see from the research, the crisis doesn’t last forever.

4. Talk to others.

It’s important to discuss feelings of discontent. Talking to others about certain issues not only helps you rationalize the problem but helps with the solution. Though it’s great that your friends and family are there to support you, it’s also good to get an unbiased point of view, especially from someone who has the experience in your industry.

A good option here is to check out LinkedIn's Career Advice feature, which allows you to connect easily with a range of mentors that will be able to offer "a fresh perspective and sound advice — it’s likely they’ve been in the same situation as you before.

5. Do your research.

Once you have discussed your situation with the relevant people, it’s important to go away and research your options and most importantly your passions. Whether it’s starting a new career altogether, going travelling or progressing with your current role — it’s necessary to be aware of your possibilities.

Most importantly, one should always remember it is not about finding another field or a new job - it is about getting rid of the underlying cause of the quarter-life crisis altogether. It's about finding your true calling. Most people confuse their job with their calling; there is a significant difference – you might retire from your job but your true calling will always call you. Everyday I see people in today's age struggling because there is a big disconnect between their careers and calling. How do you bridge the gap? The key is to simply focus on alignment and integration of both in your life.

Have you encountered a quarter-life crisis? And what was the most helpful career advice you received?