Immediately after graduating in the second half of 2019, 22-year-old Mumbai native Daniel Carvalho planned to take a year off, intending to launch his startup in mid-2020. Little did he know that the pandemic would will disrupt your life. plan. “It’s been more than a year since the idea of starting a business is still unfinished. Taking the plunge is too risky because the market situation seems quite uncertain, and so is my future,” Daniel lamented, adding, “Should I keep my startup plan and wait for things to happen? better things or listen to your parents? and take a long-distance Masters course? I really don’t know and this makes me very nervous!” With 2020 canceling literally everything for Gen Z and Millennials and 2021 playing the spoils game, Millennials and Gen Z are fighting the hopelessness, living in a situation where dilemma and fear of not being able to ‘get anywhere’ in their lives and careers. Experts are defining it as the ‘quarter-life crisis’ that has come to the fore during the pandemic. With the pandemic disrupting lifestyles, social interactions and uncertainty looming over them, the mid-life crisis is seeing a spike in the pandemic, affecting those people in their 20s and early 30s.
Dr Rahul Ratan Bagale, consultant psychiatrist, Apollo Clinic, Pune, points out, “Millennials and Generation Z have been traveling the world, going to malls, enjoying life on night, posting their daily life events on social media before the pandemic. They are getting ready to start new journeys – new job, new city/country, starting college, getting married, etc. For them, all of this has been postponed. Just sitting idle at home, lacking adequate socialization, rising unemployment numbers, experiencing fragile instability due to the pandemic, have caused them to experience emptiness, stagnation and impossible monotony. bear it.” Experts also call this an identity crisis and low self-confidence.
Although the mid-life crisis is not a new phenomenon plaguing young people, current times have made it worse. “The very famous psychologist Dr Alex Fowke described the mid-life crisis as ‘a period of insecurity, doubt and frustration around your career, relationships and financial situation ‘ and the pandemic is an example of a period defined by chaos and uncertainty,” said Dr Latha Rao, an independent researcher in Psychology from Chennai, adding: “The crisis mid-life only really gets noticed after a major outbreak COVID-19 pandemic. Stalled progress coupled with unpredictability has pushed them to the brink. They don’t know when the crisis will end – get married, move abroad, from Resigning from their overbearing job, accepting a lighter job offer, etc. – are some of the pertinent questions they are worried about and desperately looking for answers to.” Looking for good opportunities It’s easy to fall into a period of sulking and procrastination when you’re going through a crisis. “A quarter-life crisis coincides with a period in a person’s life when it’s time to take charge Seize opportunities and make big decisions. So, overcoming fear is a must. Self-doubt in a situation like this pandemic is natural, but also important to recognize that procrastination or simply procrastination because of you the more The more you do, the more time and opportunities you miss,” suggests consultant Gitanjali Shah. While some people are looking to form support groups and take up new hobbies to solve that problem others are also seeking therapy to deal with it. Saksham Sharma, 25, who wanted to marry his girlfriend “soon,” is now questioning his decision to propose Struggling with so many emotions at the same time time, but I eventually found relief through therapy. Many people would say it was too early for that, but it helped me understand the situation better. Saksham from Delhi says it’s essential to talk to someone who can look at your crisis objectively and offer advice. “More often than not, when you connect with people who may be facing what you are facing, even online, it gives you a feeling of “not being alone.” Ongoing discussions, communication and sharing will help find solutions, answers and some sense of direction because you know you are not alone.” — Dr. Shyam Sundar Paliwal, senior therapist, Mindfulness Clinic, KolkataResolving mid-life crises
- Escape the monotony of everyday life and spend time learning a new skill or pursuing a new hobby that brings a sense of accomplishment and positivity.
- Journaling your achievements and even the smallest achievements over the past few years will help you get rid of that feeling of “I’m worthless.”
- Many of these problems arise from a lack of social connection and isolation. Staying virtually connected with friends and colleagues and reliving old memories helps you overcome feeling stuck.
- This is also a great time to take up new courses which will come in handy when things open up and you’re suddenly inundated with offers. Working in the post-pandemic era requires a new set of skills and qualifications, so use this time to improve yourself.
- Meditation helps a lot. When you can calm your mind, you will think more clearly and make wise decisions.
— Aditya Shekar Agarwal, psychiatrist and career counselor, Mumbai
