hether you are in your mid 20s, early 30s, or somewhere in between, the chances are that you have found yourself questioning whether or not you are in the right career, in the right relationship, or in the right life track in general. When you were a child and/or a teenager, you probably spent a lot of time daydreaming about how your life was going to be once you reached adulthood; nevertheless, you never thought about how difficult or uncertain would be the journey to the life of your dreams.
When you start to venture deeper into adulthood, it is not uncommon to find yourself experiencing feelings of uncertainness, anxiousness, and loneliness. In fact, such feelings are often a part of something known as the quarter-life crisis which most people experience at some point in their mid 20s or early 30s.Even though the idea of going through a quarter-life crisis may seem scary, it actually presents you with the opportunity to reevaluate your life and figure out where you want to go from there and what you can do in order to change things around you. Still, it doesn’t mean that you need to go through this on your own.
Here we have some resources to help you venture through your quarter-life crisis like a professional. We have compiled a list of 10 books that are filled with valuable information and that you should add to your reading list and pick ASAP if you are going through or wanting to prepare for a quarter-life crisis.
1. Is Everyone Going Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Mindy Kaling is a successful actress, comedian, writer, and producer who is best known for her role as Kelly Kapoor in The Office and as Dr. Mindy Lahiri in The Mindy Project. However, in Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) Kaling opens up to the readers as she showcases her true self and writes about her life as the daughter of immigrants, as a beginner actress and comedian, and as a successful woman in Hollywood.
Within this memoir, Kaling writes about friendship, relationships, and fame in a funny but smart way. Even though you might not be a Hollywood star, you will find yourself relating to the contents of this book and learning valuable lessons about life.
2. F*ck! I’m in My Twenties
From blog posts to an actual book, F*ck! I’m in My Twenties by Emma Koenig is the embodiment of the moment when you realize that you are an adult and that you are now on your own. The truth is that anyone who has been through college, who has found themselves without a significant other, and who has realized that dream jobs don’t simply fall from the sky will be able to find themselves within the pages of this book.
The best part about F*ck I’m in My Twenties is that it helps you realize that you are not alone and, therefore, it gives you hope and strength to survive your quarter-life crisis. This book is filled with illustrations and diagrams that make reading it an enjoyable and relaxing journey.
3. How to Survive a Quarter-Life Crisis
Hattie Hamilton is here to remind you that even though you may not have the job of your dreams, you may not have found the one, or you may not have accomplished many of the things which you dreamed about when you were younger, you are not alone. How to Survive a Quarter-Life Crisis is everything you need to put your mind at ease and find some relief as you venture through your quarter-life crisis.
Adulthood may not always be easy, but it doesn’t mean that you have to navigate through it on your own. How to Survive a Quarter-Life Crisis is the perfect guide to help you realize that you are not a failure and to figure out that you are on the right path to accomplish many things in life.
4. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
The idea that therapy is not for everyone is way overdue and Lori Gottlieb is here to prove that with Maybe You Should Talk to Someone. If you ever wondered whether therapists need to see therapists themselves, the answer is yes. Everyone needs, at least once in their life, to talk to someone who is willing to listen to them and help them understand themselves and figure their lives out. Therefore, this book invites you to see therapy from multiple perspectives and to learn about life in the process.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone is being developed as a television series by ABC and Eva Longoria and it would be a nice experience to read it before the series is released. This book offers quirky and valuable insights about life that everyone going through a quarter-life crisis should value.
5. Milk and Honey
Milk and Honey has turned Rupi Kaur into one of the most influential poets of our generation as she is capable of understanding and capturing the hearts and minds of those in their 20s and early 30s. Before you start thinking that you are not a fan of poetry, you should know that Kaur’s poetry exists in order to give voice to things which you probably felt your whole life but did not find anyone who would understand. Through her words, Kaur makes you feel heard and seen like never before.
The truth is that Milk and Honey offers a way to release your emotions and find some relief whenever everything feels like it is too much to deal with. Perhaps, this book will help you feel inspired to write your own poetry and deal with your quarter-life crisis in an unconventional way.
6. Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
Kelly Williams Brown is here to tell you that if you want to be a successful adult, it is time to start acting like one. Wait, you don’t know how to act like a real adult? It is okay, Adulting: How to Become A Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps is here to teach how to. There are no doubts that adulting can be an overwhelming experience, but this book is the perfect guide for basically everything you need to know as you delve into adulthood.
This book is here to remind you that everyone needs help sometimes and that you should not carry the weight of adulthood on your own. Moreover, once you start to see yourself as a real adult, it is easier to see yourself as capable of accomplishing things and to deal with your quarter-life crisis.
7. Becoming
Even though Michelle Obama doesn’t require an introduction, there are no doubts that the former first-lady of the United States is an iconic and inspirational woman. So much so that Becoming, her memoir, has become (no pun intended) a number one New York Times bestseller. People are magnetized by a woman who has accomplished so much in her lifetime, but who also remains down to Earth.
The truth is that biographies are a great way of dealing with a quarter-life crisis. A book such as Becoming is as inspiring as Michelle Obama herself, which turns it into a must-read for anyone who feels moved and encouraged by the life story of others.
8. Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse
Every young person feels as if they know everything, until they realize that they actually don’t know anything. Therefore, in Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse, Alida Nugent is not afraid to tell you the truth about adulthood, but she also helps you realize that the sooner you embrace the truth, the sooner you will be able to turn things around.
Therefore, when you pick up Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse, you should be willing to forget about what any fictional books, television series, and movies have told you about adulting. The truth is that there is nothing really glamorous about being an adult and knowing this is the first step into conquering your quarter-life crisis.
9. The Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing
Who said that only nonfiction is the best way to deal with a quarter-life crisis? The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank is the proof that, basically, any pick that you can relate to and that motivates you to change your life can help you deal with a quarter-life crisis. Nevertheless, this book tells the story of Jane Rosenal as she deals with adulthood and explores the different aspects of life.
If you ever watched or read Bridget Jones’ Diary you probably will enjoy this book as well. Sometimes, the best way to deal with a quarter-life crisis is to step aside from your own life and jump into someone else’s.
10. What I Know Now
At some point or another we all wonder what we would tell our younger self regarding everything that we know now. Therefore, within What I Know Now, Ellya Spraigns has found a way to satisfy such wondering, not only for herself but for others as well, by inviting several women to write letters to their younger selves.
Within society there is this idea that people must accomplish great things as soon as possible and that if you don’t have the perfect life by the time you are 25, for instance, you are a failure. What I Know Now is the perfect book to get inspiration from several strong and accomplished women as well as to realize that life has its own pace. Perhaps, you might get inspired and write a letter to your younger self and realize how much you have been able to achieve.
Even though there is no formula for surviving adulthood, it is possible to find ways to become the adult you want to be. Remember: everyone goes through a quarter-life crisis at some point or another and you should not be afraid to educate yourself and look for ways to deal with what you are currently experiencing.
