Being a Millennial isn’t easy. We’re accused of killing everything from bar soap to the cereal industry. And we’re regularly met with news stories like this about how if we just stopped spending so much on shop-bought sandwiches, or avocados, we would be able to afford a deposit for a house in London.
Now, research has found that 72% of 25-33 year-olds in the UK have experienced a quarter-life crisis.
LinkedIn interviewed over 6,000 25 to 33-year-olds across the UK, USA, Australia and India to find out how common the quarter-life crisis is, and what the leading causes are.
The professional networking and jobs platform revealed that the average age to have a quarter-life crisis in the UK is 26 years and nine months.
Described as "a period of insecurity and doubt that many people in their mid 20s and early 30s go through surrounding their career, relationships, and finances," you can expect your quarter-life crisis to last around 11 months.
Credit: FOX / via newgirl.wikia.com
The top causes of quarter-life crises are the stresses of getting on the property ladder and finding a career you're passionate about.
57% of young professionals surveyed across the UK listed each of these as a major concern. They were followed by pressures like finding a life-partner (46%), while many respondents said comparing themselves to their more successful friends had caused them anxiety - a phenomenon that was shown to affect women more than men.
Other contributing factors include concerns you're not earning enough, haven't travelled enough and feeling the pressure to accomplish personal goals, such as running a marathon.
Many of the 25-33 year olds surveyed said their careers raised a lot of worries for them. Almost a third of those surveyed (31%) said they'd wasted years in the wrong job - and 22% even said they'd quit their job without having another one lined up.
Where you live in the UK was found to be a contributing factor. Professionals located in London were highly likely to experience a quarter-life crisis (75%) - with young professionals in Liverpool (82%), Cardiff (78%) and Norwich (77%) most likely to.
Meanwhile, those working in Bristol were least likely to feel such pressures (66%).
Darain Faraz, an expert from LinkedIn's Career Advice, shared tips on how to deal with a quarter-life crisis, including the recommendation that young professionals try to stop comparing themselves to others.
"A sure-fire way to bolster the feelings of disappointment and underachievement is to compare your own career trajectory to your peers," Faraz said.
"Remember that everyone is at a different stage of their journey, so don't compare yourself to others - whatever your definition of success is and whatever makes you happy is enough."