As a recent graduate I can vouch that life after university is scary. You’re thrown into the big wide world and have to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. You don’t have the safety net of education anymore and you’re considering doing a masters just to put off the inevitable. It’s enough to send anyone into an existential crisis.
If you are feeling the pressure and aren’t sure how to cope, you’ve come to the right place. Take a breath and read these tips to manage your situation.
Stop comparing yourself to others
This is the first and most important point. In your twenties you’ll know a lot of people who are in different parts of their lives. Whether they appear further ahead or way behind. You can’t compare yourself to any of them. Stopping is difficult, but taking breaks from social media is a good way to start. Remind yourself everyone has a different journey, so don’t race to get to the end of your own.
Be kind to yourself
Whether you like it or not, you have yourself for the rest of your life. And showing up for yourself benefits any situation. So don’t beat yourself up about rejections or anything you can’t control. Instead acknowledge your own efforts. Start now by checking out: ’52 Ways You Can Be Kinder to Yourself’.
Acceptance
Accepting your current situation for what it is doesn’t mean it’s never going to change. It just means you will learn to embrace the present. A lot of people don’t get their dream job straight after uni. And while you can still work towards your goals, don’t be mad if they don’t come over night. If you’re interested in acceptance, Russ Harris discusses the subject in his book ‘The Happiness Trap’.
Plan
Planning your future is a good way to stay motivated. Remember plans aren’t set in stone and you’ll encounter a few surprises along the way. But it’s a good way to find out what you want to do and where you see yourself going.
Keep going
As cringe as it sounds, you never know how far away you are from getting what you want. And if you’ve made it this far, you might as well keep going. Try to enjoy where you are right now and remind yourself you will get there.
