From time to time it seems that something is happening to us: life ceases to please, the future seems bleak, and prospects are dim. It turns out that this state has a logical explanation - this is how age-related crises work. What is it and what are the reasons for their appearance? How to distinguish the crisis from the dark band? What do they influence? Find answers to these and other questions can be acquainted with the four main crossroads of fate, which passes each. Having learned more about them, the devil may not seem as scary as his imagination does.
What is age crisis
The age crisis is a process of personal development, characterized by a short-lived duration and certain mental changes. The word "crisis" itself has an ancient Greek origin and means a decision, a turning point.
Its occurrence is considered normal., since analyzing one’s actions, summing up what has been achieved, is natural for everyone. The conscious acceptance of a turning point means that a person is ready for metamorphosis, improvement, self-analysis.
The degree of crisis depends on temperament, character traits, upbringing and many other factors. Psychologists believe that the even distribution of emotional stress, when every crisis of age leaves a mark on a person’s life, has a positive effect on the development of a strong personality. In the case of the suppression of experiences within oneself, there is a danger of meeting with a snow avalanche created from problem stages that have not been passed in time.
Distinguish the approach of crisis psychological research will help you from ordinary fatigue or surging depression, after which it was possible to determine the most vulnerable age.
Age crises
21 years crisis
By the age of 21, the majority already have accumulated social experience, a diploma of graduation from an educational institution, as well as many plans, ambitions, and set goals. In fact, this is the first stage of an independent adult life, when a person begins to earn money independently, live separately from parents, and build serious relations with the opposite sex. Only the unwillingness of the breadwinners to let their child into the “adult” life can be prevented from growing up, which will significantly slow down the separation process. This can have a negative impact on relations between family members, as well as on the self-confidence of a person experiencing a difficult period.
It is caused by a number of suddenly arising tasks and perceptions.: You have to fight for a place in the sun, constantly proving your independence and competence. Everything is available and at the same time distant. It seems that life is in full swing, inviting everyone to take from it. Men want to prove to the world that they themselves control their own destiny, so they often change jobs, hobbies, friends or partners.
At this age, the foundation is laid for the successful development of the personality, the strength of which will directly play a role in the transition to the next life stages. Therefore, 21 years is the ideal time for self-realization, the search for opportunities, and self-development.
Crisis of 25 years
Up to 25 years, young people, feeling their uniqueness, believe that they were born "under a lucky star" that helps them achieve a lot. But with the onset of the date, signifying that a quarter of life has already passed, they are covered with panic fear of the future.
A person may realize that he made a mistake in choosing a profession or in early family formation. The desire to enjoy life, to have everything at once, to become successful is broken about reality, in which you have to work hard and wait a long time. Dissatisfaction with personal abilities, the emergence of the first signs of aging, a feeling of fatigue increase the nervousness of the general condition, leading to depression.
"And what if nothing happens?", "Probably, I am nothing," "My life is over, because I will never succeed!" - This is a standard set of phrases that sound in the head of a person experiencing a crucial period. But it is worth changing the job to a more paid one, finding a fascinating hobby or meeting a new love, as the problem period comes to an end, marking the beginning of a new stage.
Crisis of 30 years
A person who has reached 30 years of age resembles a traveler who, having reached his destination, changed the course. The reason for this turn is a rethinking of one’s own way of life, a change of priorities and a “reassessment of values” This period is called the crisis of the “meaning of life”, because a person starts asking himself many global questions: “What did I manage to achieve in life?”, “Have I already lived half of my life?”, “How to live further?”.
Their setting pushes for drastic life reforms in the form of mastering a new profession, moving to another city, changing the appearance or style of clothing. Searching for oneself marks the transition from carefree youth to prudent maturity, which allows one to know one’s essence.
There comes an understanding that the result does not depend on a “miracle” or “fortune”, but on how much effort is made to achieve the goal. This leads to the adjustment of the life plan by realizing its own potential. The general condition of a man resembles an epiphany that appeared like a bolt from the blue.
Crisis of 40 years
If the previous crucial stage did not lead to the solution of problems that had arisen within himself, in 10 years he could return with a new force. He is characterized by feelings of dissatisfaction with himself, a comparison of his former hopes with reality, existential reflections. Thoughts that life is lived in vain, and time wasted affects family relationships, colleagues at work, and best friends.
A man begins to feel under-appreciated by his superiors, as there are "promising" young personnel in the team who have far more prospects than a 40-year-old employee. The situation at home looks no less depressing, because the children have matured and, most likely, live separately.
Everything seems to be piling up "on one pile", affecting the general mental state: there is apathy, a feeling of emptiness, bursts of aggression. Life becomes uninteresting and boring, so the desire for shocking as an attempt to change something is not excluded.
At this turning point, support from loved ones and an independent desire to survive a difficult period without shocks can help avoid depression, divorce, and other emotional shocks.
Age crises, in spite of "loud" terminological names, are in fact the stages of growth, change, and personal development. Each of them plays the role of a kind of pill, which, of course, has adverse reactions. It is desirable to spend forces on them, and not on attempts to avoid collisions with crossroads of fate on your way.