Okay, you’re out on your own, now what? Adulting!
Adulting: Doing adult-like things because you’re an adult. For me, becoming an adult was this weird experience I was wholly unprepared for. It felt like someone had thrown me into the deep end of the pool and told me to swim and while I managed it, it was anything but graceful.
Being a kid/teen was awesome for me. As someone who has anxiety (and did at an early age!) I liked having a routine and someone to be accountable to. When I decided to leave the nest (an impulsive decision made in anger), I wasn’t prepared for it at all!
Beong on your own will seem exciting and new. But there are also a lot of changes and a lot of growing up you’ll probably have to do, so here’s a little list of thing you might want to consider and/or work on!
Be accountable for your own mistakes
And you will make mistakes (we all do). The important thing is that you hold yourself accountable for those mistakes and then learn from them. Whether they’re big mistakes or little ones, they’re helping turn you into who you’re meant to be.
Learn to handle personality clashes
You now have a whole new group of people to get to know from neighbors to coworkers. You’re not going to like everyone (something I had to learn) so the next step is just creating good boundaries.
One thing that can help is understanding what type of personality you have so that you can better handle specific situations. This might mean looking online at a website where you can take the Enneagram test to help you understand how you react to situations and what better way you can approach things. (I’m a 9! Which means I have trouble standing up for myself or rocking the boat)
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
There are so many questions! Every day ordinary questions like the best way to cook a chicken or do you really have to separate your laundry by color? Or more important questions like how to build good credit?
Don’t be afraid to ask the people in your life questions, even if you feel silly about it!
Learn how to have adult friendships
Your friendships as you grow older will look different than the ones you had as a teenager. That’s okay! You’ll get busy, they’ll get busy, and you might not see each other as much.
Budget and take care of your finances
This one is so important! Research how to take care of your finances. Make a budget, balance your bank account, and raise your credit score.
Make a schedule to pay your bills on time and in a way that works for your finances.
Manage a chore schedule
There’s no one else to do the dishes or take care of the trash and if that’s not one of the saddest parts of being an adult.
Come up with a chore schedule that won’t overwhelm you but also gets everything done. Especially if you have depression. This was my #1 adulting struggle in my 20s. My depression made it so hard to do anything. Even just making myself do one thing a day helped!
Learn time management
There’s so much to do! Grocery shopping, running errands, paying bills, taking care of chores, spending time with your friends and spending time to relax.
Focus on making sure that you can balance all of your wants and needs.
Discover what makes your heart sing
Find something that you love to do. A hobby, a job, volunteer work – something. Having something that yu’re passionate about will fill up your life in amazing ways.
Find ways to handle stress and pressure that will work for you
Finally, learn good coping skills and stress management! There are some great ways to ensure that you handle this additional stress well and to not let it hinder your mental health. Things like exercise and meditation can help. Find a way to relax in the evening and segregate your work and home life.
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