-Written by Danica Hungerford, M.A., LPC

Has life not turned out how you expected it? Did you enter adulthood and have hopes and dreams for what your life would be like that just don’t seem to be happening? Emerging adulthood is a term used to define the developmental stage of life between adolescence and adulthood, typically between 18-25 years old. These few years can be filled with many life-changing decisions, relationships, and career paths that can be hard to navigate.

Areas of Your Life Affected by Emerging Adulthood:

Career/School.

Before establishing a career, many people will experience job loss, unrealized dreams, or the decision to pursue higher education or training.

Friendships.

Friendships are changing as people move to new places or are interested in different things. It becomes harder to stay connected, and these friendships have to be more intentional.

Relationships.

Many will experience real heartbreak and others will make difficult decisions about whom to date or marry.

Family.

As a person leaves their family or origin and gains more independence, this can also be filled with conflict as dynamics with parents and siblings change. You are figuring out the middle path between making your own mistakes and asking family for help when you need it.

Beliefs.

Things once believed in childhood and adolescence now seem strange or impossible. People wrestle with finding their own beliefs while deconstructing and reconstructing their faith.

Death.

This time of life can often be when a person experiences their first significant loss of a loved one, whether it be a grandparent, parent or friend.

Grief and Emerging Adulthood

With any transition or change, there is also loss and grief. Sometimes the loss is obvious, like the loss of a significant other after a breakup. Other times the loss is a little more subtle, like the loss of possibility when accepting one job over another. These transitional losses can feel overwhelming and cause emotional pain, especially when many of them are occurring at the same time.

A person in emerging adulthood might be navigating some of these decisions for the first time on their own and learning to accept the outcomes of their decisions. There is high emotional turmoil, whie often feeling more isolated and alone than ever.

Working through this life stage is what helps prepare a person for making decisions in adulthood, for showing up authentically in a relationship, for handling conflict, and for working well with others in a professional setting. It’s also a time for learning how to grieve well through loss.

3 Suggestions for Navigating the Losses of Emerging Adulthood:

  1. Grounding. Find something that grounds you. In all of the chaos going on around you, find something that feels stable. This could be an activity like a daily walk, or a spiritual practice of prayer or bible reading.
  2. Journaling. Keep a feelings journal each day. This does not have to be a long process, but just take a few minutes to jot down emotions that you experienced that day as a way of tracking the ups and downs of how you are feeling, and how intensely you felt it.
  3. Counseling. Reach out to a counselor to help talk through these transitions and losses. A counselor can help you identify the emotions you are feeling and give some practical tools for emotion regulation.

If you are having a difficult time navigating the transitions and losses in your life, reach out today to schedule an appointment with one of our counselors.

Danica Hungerford, M.A., LPC has a master’s degree in clinical counseling and specializes in working with those from young adulthood to seniors. If you or someone you love is interested in seeking out help here in the South Denver Area, consider booking an appointment with Danica by calling 720.489.8555 or by contacting our general admin.