Tips For How To Cope With The Pressures of Adulting

As young adults, we are transitioning into a phase of life that requires a new set of life skills – including coping skills. For the first time, we have to start learning how to cope with the pressures of adulting. It can be extremely exhausting to face adult responsibilities, especially in these early stages. There is so much to learn about adult life, manage, and plan for, which can be too much at times. I’ve sometimes found myself sitting down and feeling overwhelmed with everything that I need to do – not sure if I will be able to handle it all.

As a general rule, there is not just one way to cope with the pressures of adulting. You focus on your mental well-being, improve your diet, exercise, create fun days, build a support system, and much more to help you deal with the pressures of adulting.

You are not alone in this feeling and below are some basic coping mechanisms and safeguards that you can implement in your life to help you manage and cope with the pressures of adulting.

1. Take Care Of Your Overall Health

Focusing on your health is essential when figuring out how to cope with adulting. A good health plan and building healthy boundaries for yourself are paramount as you face the challenges of adulthood.

If you are not living a healthy life, then you are putting yourself at a disadvantage to tackle the obstacles that will arise in adult life. Now, this does not mean that you have to exercise every day for hours on end and only eat vegetables.

What taking care of your overall health means is taking the time and effort to ensure that you are receiving the proper nutrients you need to function daily. It’s also beneficial to avoid as many stressful or harmful situations as possible. Yes, adulting itself is a stressful situation but it is part of the real world and we are no longer in high school.

Regardless, there are a ton of healthy ways to manage the stress of adult responsibilities through useful and effective coping strategies which we will continue to explore below.

As for the overall health aspect though, a simple and effective way to take care of your overall health is to not skip those checkups. This means not skipping that annual doctor’s appointment and making sure that you go to the dentist for your semi-annual checkups. By keeping up to date on these checkups you can better stay on top of your health – and if a healthcare scare does happen, hopefully, you’ll catch it early.

2. Focus on Mindfulness Techniques Like Meditation

Continuing in the vein of taking care of your health, it is important not to neglect your mental health and employ useful mindfulness techniques. Being an adult can be a high-stress game where you are given a horrible hand. 

Sometimes it will feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and a lot of people are counting on you. It’s a lot. You have to manage work, relationships, yourself, and whatever else arises as you age.

Read More: 12 Harsh Truths About Adulthood

Again, it is a lot. That is why it is so important to take the extra time to check in with your mental state through meditation. Now, there are a ton of different ways to meditate, so don’t feel like you have to do it one certain way. Figure out what works best for you and make it your own.

There are a few apps that I have used to help me start doing this more. Both Headspace and Meditation by Down Dog are two great apps for guided meditation. They both offer free and paid versions, so you can see which one suits your experience best. 

Additionally, social media can sometimes offer some good resources to look into. Plus, you can always just search on YouTube for free meditation exercises. Saving money can surely help your peace of mind.  Either way, finding time to meditate and not ignore your mental health can help you figure out how to cope with adulting.

3. Take Good Care of Your Diet – Eat Well and Eat Enough

Sometimes eating comes second to work or something else that we deem “more demanding” at that moment. Other times, we just can’t afford it. Either way, eating and eating a well-balanced diet is essential. Without the proper nutrients, it’s more difficult to focus and handle the pressures that come with adulting. 

For myself, I am aiming to eat 2,500 calories each day with the bulk of that being carbs and protein. For you, it probably will be different. If you are new to nutrition planning and eating properly, it might be helpful to work with a nutritionist – if it won’t break the budget. 

Starting with free online resources and leaning on the people in my life who know more about this topic has been a helpful way for me to learn more. The resources are out there. It is up to you to seek them out and create a plan for yourself.

One app that has been really helpful for me is called LifeSum. It asks you about your weight and other information like dietary habits and restrictions along with your goals. It takes all of that information and suggests a certain amount of calories that you should consume daily. It’s a great app for beginners and experts alike to develop and track progress.

Remember, without proper nutrients, it’s difficult to function properly, let alone figure out how to cope with adulting and handle the daunting existence that is adulthood.

4. Ask For Help When Overwhelmed

It might sound counterintuitive to ask for help now that you are an adult, but that is not the case at all. You can and should ask for help when you need it, but don’t expect someone else to solve your problems without first putting in the effort.

Asking for help is something that we all must get comfortable with as adults. There is nothing wrong with it, especially when it involves figuring out how to cope with adulting.

Also, know that help comes in many forms. Asking for help could be as simple as reaching out to your parents for guidance or joining a weekly online group therapy session to give yourself some emotional support. There is no specific way to go about this.

A cool piece of information – You know that health insurance plan you have now? Well, if you are interested in seeking professional help, you might even be able to go to something like therapy for little to no cost. 

Read More: How To Choose A Health Insurance Plan

You just have to see if it is covered under your insurance. Sometimes, it is covered under preventative care. So, look into that and take advantage of it if that’s the case for you.

Additionally, below is a chart with some of the main hotline help numbers if you ever need to call and speak to someone.

Hotline Help Numbers

Topic	Hotline Number
Suicide	1-800-273-8255
Bullying	1-800-420-1479
Abuse	1-800-799-7233
Mental Health	1-800-442-9673
Sexual Assault	1-800-656-4673
Self-Harm	1-800-366-8288
Grief Support	1-650-321-3438
Teen Lifeline	1-800-784-8433
Depression	1-630-482-9696
Drugs/Alcohol	1-877-235-4525
Eating Disorder	1-650-577-1330

I must note that I am not a licensed individual on this topic. I am just providing potential resources. Please understand, that I AM NOT recommending or endorsing any of them. It is up to you to do your own due diligence and determine if they are helpful to you and whether or not it is appropriate for your situation.

5. Develop And Nurture A Support System

Just as you should ask for help when it’s needed, it’s good to have a strong support system of friends and family members. You can also join support groups for certain things like if you face a certain type of anxiety or mental health condition.

Whether you are asking for help or not, it is important to develop a support system of people who care about your well-being.

When stressed reach out to your support system. Life is not meant to be done alone, so don’t alienate yourself as you adjust to adulthood.

6. Take Time For Fun and Relaxation

Just as you need time to rest and meditate, you need time to make time to have fun. It might sound like your days of fun are gone along with your childhood, but that is not the case. You can and still should find ways to have fun as an adult.

Having fun and finding joy in doing things can help you reset during stressful times and regain some of that energy you lost managing problems.

Read More: Why Adulting Can Be More Fun Than You Think

The most common outlet for relaxation and fun is usually nurturing your social life. Spend time with your best friend, make new friends, and just do things you find fun and rejuvenating.

If you want to go somewhere and do things you can try going on a vacation. A few days, or weeks – if you got it like that – sipping tropical margaritas next to the beach with your worries packed away. 

Go swimming, do some tai-chi, or do whatever helps you relax – make time for it. 

Alternatively, and this is something I’ve enjoyed doing in the past, you can break things for relaxation and fun too. There are plenty of places that offer breakables as a service. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a place where you literally pay to go smash things. I’m talking about plates, chairs, tables, and even TVs. It can be a great opportunity to release any aggression, negative thoughts, worries about societal expectations, and more. I’m not a certified psychologist or anything though, so this isn’t official expert advice. 

But I digress. All of that to say, figure out what helps you recharge and make it a part of your routine. You might be surprised at how well it can help you cope with adulting.

Plus, all work and no play make for a horrible life and who wants that?

7. Plan For Your Next Step

Often a lot of the common challenges that arise as an adult stem from a lack of planning, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Placing a greater focus on the future and what’s next can help alleviate a fair share of challenges as it relates to adulting, especially in the earlier stages.

So, take the time to research some of the milestones that come with the early transition years into adulthood. From these milestones, create a rough outline for yourself to give you a better picture of your own journey.

One of the most common ways of doing this is creating a vision board. A vision board is a great start, especially if you are new to planning for the future and personal growth planning. 

I’ve created many vision boards that helped me set realistic goals for myself. The really good thing about vision boards is that they are meant to be visual, giving you a glimpse at what you are working towards. 

They double as a plan and a motivational tool for helping you reach those personal life goals you have outlined. 

Plus, doing a vision board can be a fun DIY project. You only need a few supplies like a poster board, some old magazines for pictures, and glue. If you don’t have magazines or want more specific pictures, you can always just print them from online while the rest of the supplies can usually be found at your local Walmart. 

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time to complete. Just take a few hours this upcoming weekend and have a go at creating a vision board that helps you plan for your new responsibilities. It will help you figure out what you want and how to get there, thereby decreasing some of the feelings of inadequacy you might feel from adulting.

8. Properly Budget And Build Your Financial Literacy

One of the biggest stressors in life is the financial pressures that come with adulthood. Will I have enough money to eat tonight? How can I afford to go back to school? How will I raise a family on my salary? Will I ever be able to afford a house?

Money can be stressful and often is, however, it doesn’t have to always be a dominant stressor for you. Starting now, strengthen your relationship with your finances. Grow your financial literacy skillset – topics like balancing a budget, investing, retirement, emergency savings, HSAs, and even how to read a bank statement.

As you start out, though, be sure to start with the basics of budgeting, credit cards, how a debit card is different from a credit card, how to create a savings account and more. You should at least learn what these terms means before your financial responsibility demands that you know what they mean. 

Read More: 16 Personal Finance Terms Every New Adult Should Know

The better understanding you have of money and how to use it as a tool, the better your chances of decreasing money as a stressor in adulthood and reaching financial independence.

There are plenty of resources out there for you to start building a financial foundation. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on online courses. You can just get started with YouTube for free. 

However, there is one service that is at the foundation of my financial life. It is YNAB (You Need A Budget) which I use as a budgeting software to help me manage my financial life. It has been essential in handling my undergraduate costs, graduate school costs, moving cities, and countries, and so much more. If you are interested in learning more about YNAB use my referral link and get a month free of the service. It’s worth the money!

Read More: Why YNAB Is My Favorite Adulting Tool

9. Take It Small Steps, One Step At A Time

Big problems can be broken down into smaller chunks making them more manageable problems.

Adulting can seem like an overwhelming task that is all-encompassing, but it is doable. You are capable. The best thing that you can do for yourself is take all of these new experiences and this new journey as a marathon rather than a sprint.

Remember, that every big challenge or task can be broken down into manageable steps. By breaking down the main challenge, you make it easier for yourself to reach your end goal and set realistic expectations.

Take moving to a new city for work as an example. You might have just graduated college and now it is time to pack up your life and move to a new place and start over. You have to find a place to live that’s affordable, in a decent location, at a reasonable distance from work, and still furnish the place. Oh, and you need to be able to pay the bills to live there. That’s a lot of things and it seems like a huge task.

But it is totally conquerable if you break it down into smaller tasks.

Breaking larger tasks into smaller tasks can help you cope with the challenges that you face. By taking it little by little you can slowly build to the major solution that you once felt was too daunting to attempt.

Read More: How To Move To A New City

What are your thoughts? Do you find these to be helpful or effective stress management techniques and tips? Any tips I said on how to cope with adulting that stood out to you?

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Best of luck adulting!

And Remember,

Adulting Starts Here

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