What age is a quarter life crisis?

Life is an exhilarating adventure, but it often comes with its fair share of twists and turns. While the midlife crisis has long been discussed, an emerging phenomenon has captivated the attention of many of us: the quarter-life crisis. When I first heard this term, my immediate though was that this ought to be something (given the name) that happens around 20-25… given optimistic life expectancy… right? Well no, apparently not. So that begs the question, what age is a quarter life crisis?

Well, the short answer is that generally its around your late twenties. However it can range quite a lot. So let’s explore that a bit further. 

Definition

So first of all, what is a quarter life crisis? 

The quarter-life quest manifests itself differently for every woman, but common signs may include a profound sense of restlessness, a nagging feeling of being lost or unfulfilled, heightened self-doubt, anxiety about the future, and a deep yearning for clarity.

See my blog post on ‘what are the signs of a quarter life crisis‘ for more info on how to spot whether you or someone you know is in this phase. 

What causes a quarter life crisis?

While the causes of the quarter-life quest are multi-faceted, here are a few factors that often play a significant role:

• Navigating Societal Expectations: As women in our twenties, we face societal pressure regarding career choices, relationships, family planning, and personal achievements. Balancing these expectations while staying true to our authentic selves can be an incredible challenge.
• Identity Exploration: The twenties are a transformative period for women, where we explore our identities, values, passions, and purpose. This soul-searching process can sometimes lead to confusion, as we strive to align our aspirations with societal norms and our own desires.
• Establishing Work-Life Balance: The quest to establish a fulfilling career while maintaining a balanced personal life is a common challenge for women in their twentiess. Juggling professional growth, personal relationships, and self-care can be overwhelming, leading to a sense of uncertainty.

So what age is a quarter life crisis?

The quarter-life crisis quest is a transformative phase that typically occurs in our late twenties. However, it’s important to note that this difficult phase is not bound by rigid age boundaries. It can strike at any point during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.  It depends on when the unique set of triggers happens around an individual.

The two biggest triggers for women for their quarter life crisis can be:

• When close friends start getting engaged, getting married and getting pregnant / having children
• When women starting to think about whether they want get married / have children – and if so at what age might this happen for them

Obviously when those two triggers occur can vary between individuals and different friendship groups. According to this article in Grazia, the average UK woman is now getting married at 30.8 years old – and this age is trending to get later and later – therefore it’s likely that over the course of time, the quarter life crisis will also get later. 

Hence the true age range for a quarter life crisis for women can be any time between our early twenties and mid-thirties. 

Is there any upside to a quarter life crisis?

Yes, so here’s the good news (thank goodness!) – it’s definitely not all bad. This phase can be a great opportunity for true self discovery and personal growth. In seeking out who our true ‘authentic self’ is, this puts us on a path that takes us forward in life in a much more positvie way. 

Facing the question head on of whether our life has meaning and whether we’re making a positive impact on the world can lead to better choices for us, our future and wider society. Going through the discomfort of questioning our values and beliefs that were given to us by our upbringing and society at large can lead us to a different viewpoint on the world – informing our decisions on relationships, career and our overall approach to life.

It does require some deep self-reflection, cultivation of the right supportive network, practicing self-care, and celebrating your milestones.  But if you can do that, then you will navigate this transformative phase with confidence and resilience. Embrace the challenges, trust in your inner strength, and allow yourself to bloom into the incredible woman you are destined to become!

My experience with quarter life crisis

I definitely had my fair share of pain with this phase when I was in my late twenties / early thirties, however I wasn’t aware of it being a ‘thing’ when it happened to me. I stumbled through it very uncomfortably, panicked and made some bad decisions for myself, digging myself into holes that I then had to work really hard to get out of.

Having spoken to many women about it since, it would appear that this is more common certainly than I had realised at the time. In fact I’d go as far as to say all the women I’ve spoken to that didn’t have children by their late twenties went through some version of this phase. 

Having had such a hard time with it myself, this is the reason that I do what I do now – to help young women going through the same sort of challenges – with a view to helping them navigate the phase more quickly and making the right decisions for themselves, so that they can move forwards with their life in a better way. 

If you are struggling with this phase in your life, then please do get in touch, and book a free 30 minute call with me using the form below – I love to chat with people and hopefully offer some hope and some tactics you can put in place straightaway to help you with how to move forwards – whether that’s with me, or on your own.