How to Fight Off Adulting Anxiety in 9 Ways (Read Now)

The adage “With great power comes great responsibility” perfectly applies to anyone going through the adulting phase. Adulting is liberating, but for the most part, it is scary!

Many young adults struggle to ace this phase and get extremely overwhelmed. This results in many mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and more.

The pressure to reach important developmental milestones, settle down and live a purposeful life constantly haunts them. At least 40 million adults in the US have been suffering from different types of anxiety disorders, according to ADAA.org.

The amount of stress is so much that the parents of these young adults must chip in to support their troubled children at all times.

Adulting Challenges

Independence is great, but adulting also comes with a ton of obligations. Have you faced these adulting problems?

• You are unprepared for the hustle ahead, as you don’t know what to expect.
• You must keep aside your favorite games and pastime to finish your top duties, such as household chores, office work, etc.
• You have a ton of bills to pay and debts to clear off, so you have to be financially responsible.
• It is hard to change old habits, wake up early and have a fixed schedule
• You hardly can give enough time to self-care given your workload
• Some of you might also struggle to switch your job to find the right one
• Work-life balance becomes a myth
• You are probably also dealing with relationship issues
• Time is precious – You want to hold onto the time you felt you wasted away when you were young
• You are struggling to maintain a healthy body
• You are constantly anxious about how your future will be
• Your life has become boring, and you lack motivation
• Making new friends feels like a chore for you
• Transitioning from college/university to work can be hard due to a highly competitive hiring landscape worldwide.
• COVID-19 caused one of the worst crises and left many adults jobless
• You are living paycheck to paycheck, clueless about how to save your money and make the most of it
• Social media consumes you with its toxicity, causing you to compare yourself with others
• Many adults indulge in smoking, binging on junk food or alcohol, and resorting to recreational drugs to cope with the growing anxiety and stress
• Friendships are not the same anymore – It is hard for you to keep in touch with your old friends, and nostalgia hits you hard all the time.

9 Ways to Fight Off Adulting Anxiety

Are you experiencing anxiety from all or some of the above adulting challenges? Do not fret. Here are 9 tried and tested ways to fight off adulting anxiety for you to try out.

1. Let Go of Your Expectations

Expectations will only cause disappointment, so it is important to let go of your expectations, especially the unrealistic or unreasonable ones.

You need to understand that not everything will go your way. Having too many expectations from yourself and others is one of the primary causes of anxiety in adult life.

The key is to be focused on your present.

2. Learn From Your Mistakes

Do not be too hard on yourself because nobody is perfect. So, stop craving perfection. Also, it is very common for you to prevent trying out new things, fearing failure. But that is how you have been learning ever since you were a child, remember?

So, keep going, and do not feel bad about your mistakes. If you have the urge to learn, accept and learn from mistakes.

3. Engage in Activities That Give You Immense Pleasure

Adulting might be synonymous with a busy life. But one of the most effective, drug-free ways to cope with adulting anxiety is taking time off work, unwinding, and relaxing by doing things you always liked.

Trust me, taking time out for relaxation will relieve you of all the stress and anxiety and give you great satisfaction. After all, contentment is the first step to being happy.

You can listen to music, find solace in your pets, play video games if gaming lights up your soul, go out and have food at fancy restaurants if you are a food lover, indulge in desserts, go hiking or trekking if you are an adventurous person, enjoy solo trips and so on.

Initially, you might feel lonely due to a lack of good company or friends. But keep reminding yourself that it is your journey, and you have the right to drive it the way you want. So, try to find happiness without depending on others. Your job will then be half done.

4. Try Yoga And Meditation

Adulting anxiety comes from your constant worry about whether or not you will be able to maintain a good balance between all aspects of life, including health, wellness, relationships, career, and finances. And yoga, as well as meditation, can help you get rid of that perpetual worry or concern.

Research shows that practicing yoga, breathing techniques, and mindfulness can help you achieve a state of mental and physical tranquility.

Meditation can also help alleviate your fears and return to the present moment. Anxiety, depression, and physiological problems such as heart issues, high blood pressure, etc., are also some conditions that meditation can partially treat.

Whenever you feel super anxious or stressed, try practicing deep breathing techniques to engage your major muscle groups, which tend to be tense due to anxiety.

The breathing exercises will help relax these muscles and give you that much-needed relief.

5. Be Realistic

It’s hard, but it’s better than saving yourself from falling flat on your face when you are out of your fairy-tale land. So, keep your goals attainable and your expectations in check.

You should only set personal goals and not prove anything to the world. Also, it is important to have milestones that you can realistically achieve.

6. Face Your Fears And Challenges Head-On

Anxiety while adulting is common because you suddenly feel your legal guardians no longer protect you or are there to guide you.

It’s when you must build enough confidence and master the art of being assertive. 

It is important to remind yourself that this is your life and your struggle and that you must deal with yourself without help from others unless there is an emergency. How else would you build confidence in your abilities?

Suppose you constantly seek people to save you from circumstances causing you anxiety. In that case, you will never be able to train your mind to handle adversities like a pro.

So, it is best to be self-reliant as much as possible and refrain from having too many people to depend on. Now this does not mean that you cannot ask for help. You can, and that is what I will talk about in the next pointer.

7. Do Not Fear Talking About Your Anxiety With The Right People

Discussing your adulting anxiety with the people you trust can help you learn wisdom from their experiences.

In extreme cases, do not put off seeing a therapist or psychiatrist for your counseling needs.

Your doctor can help you prescribe the right medication, diet, and exercise to alleviate your anxiety levels to prevent disruption of your daily functioning.

You can also focus on activities that help lift your spirits and remove your mind from dwelling on worries. Because worries are inevitable, how effectively you keep them at bay forms the foundation of acing the adulting phase.

8. Take Your Physical Health Seriously

A weak and anxious mind is the surefire entry to an unhealthy lifestyle. But this will push you further down the never-ending rabbit hole of more problems. So, do not take your health for granted and create new problems for yourself.

To avoid worsening your adulting anxiety, ensure you eat, sleep, and exercise on time. It would be tough to maintain a healthy routine when stressed but be determined and take one step at a time.

For example, if you know waking up late disturbs your work and diet schedule, ruining your whole day. Make it a point to start sleeping early, which would be your first step toward cleaning up your lifestyle.

Not eating on time can further worsen your anxiety by releasing a stress hormone called cortisol. So, ensure you get a wholesome diet of ample protein, fiber-rich fruits, sprouts and veggies, and less processed foods regularly.

Another important aspect of good health is having restful sleep of 7 to 8 hours. Make it a habit to sleep early and at the same time so you eventually get used to following it subconsciously every night.

You can also try some calming activities or writing a thought diary to keep yourself more in control of your anxious thoughts and feelings. It’s particularly effective when you cannot always express your emotions with your family or friends.

9. Personify Your Anxiety

You can attribute your anxiety to someone who bullied you as a kid and create an illusion for your mind to solve a problem. It may seem funny, but tricking your mind and giving your anxiety a name and a face can also help. This way, your mind will be better equipped to deal with fears.

Conclusion

Most of the challenges you would face in adulting are commonly experienced by adults worldwide, which means you are not alone! So accept yourself for what you are. And don’t have unrealistic expectations of yourself. It can only result in anxiety and stress.

Staying positive, constantly reminding yourself of your goals, taking things in your stride, and staying away from bad coping habits will help you deal with adulting anxiety better and eventually lead you to success.