Written by AJ Avecilla

Losing your teenage years to a global pandemic sucks but being pushed to become an instant adult simultaneously adds further pressure to my fellow 2000s babies.

After spending months of extended quarantine, you might have stumbled upon YouTube recommendations on adulting tips or heard of popular adult-life in transition podcasts like “Adulting with Joyce Pring” during your free time even before this pandemic started. I personally invest myself in self-help books and such media content in preparation for what is about to hit me when I finally say goodbye to my carefree teenage years.

Though these materials are extremely well-versed with experiences and advice, I define adulting as a subjective matter that no vlogger or streamer can perfectly predict for you. So, instead of telling you what to do and what not to do, here are 5 no-filter things that I learned as an ordinary twenty something just like you. Spoiler alert: It gets messy from here!

1. Overworking is overrated.

With everyone becoming more occupied with both personal issues and academic or org work at present, we have developed a culture of equating the amount of tasks we have ticked off our to-do list with our idea of productivity. Overworking became the name of the game especially online, where we have been so hooked with documenting how busy we are and how caffeine is our favorite meal of the day. While there is nothing wrong with working hard, excessive glorification of sleepless nights or endless errands can contribute to the feeling of being burnt out. There is nothing wrong with giving yourself some “me time” like taking a nap if you need to or enjoying a virtual e-numan with friends without worrying too much on other things.

2. Create healthy coping mechanisms.

Staying at home doing repetitive routines can contribute to your emotional exhaustion as a transitioning adult. One way to prevent the feeling of being stuck is to establish your own coping mechanisms. In the course of quarantine, I initially thought that retail therapy is the best form to keep myself sane. Though it brought me joy to receive parcels almost every other day, it also led to negative effects such as impulsively buying unnecessary things and allowing myself to splurge too much without control. This is why drawing the line in defining your guilty pleasure is not only necessary but also beneficial to foresee the long term consequences of unhealthy choices.

3. Each timeline looks different.

It is funny that when you reach your twenties, people start expecting things you never really thought of before. Titos and Titas might have started asking you about post-graduation plans or perhaps if you already have a boyfriend or girlfriend at a certain age. Career wise, you might have encountered your friends getting speaking opportunities or actively handling leadership positions from one org to another. But when I encountered a turning point in my life as a sophomore, I remember writing down that each timeline looks different. No matter how cliche this is, you need to constantly remind yourself to breathe easy. You are in the right timeline, and you are not competing with anyone but yourself.

4. Hustle while you are young (or not).

Finding a sideline has become quite easy for broke college kids like me. In a span of a year, I have jumped from one job to another in the field of freelance writing and it truly is fulfilling to be recognized for doing something you are passionate about. But then again, when the school year started, I started receiving less work and more academic pile. I was frustrated to not earn as much as I did before, but random conversations with people I consider my ates and kuyas have helped me realize that it is totally normal to not have everything figured out in both my work and academic responsibilities. We should not be closing opportunities at present if ever it arises, but we must also remind ourselves that we will eventually have enough time to build a career once we finally graduate.

5. There is no perfect manual in reinventing yourself.

Joyce Pring talked about reinvention in one of her podcast episodes where she tackled goal setting, emotion management and powering through when things do not go according to plan. When you are an adult in transition, you might experience all of these but not necessarily in that order. I experienced planning almost every detail of every aspect of my life, but in this world, I learned that harsh moments will push you to claw your way out of getting lost.

Reality check: Life is messy, and will always be, especially when you are no longer the kid that you once were. But in the long run, your failures and wins will always be your best friend especially in crucial moments of your life that will require painful sacrifices as you grow older. Sometimes you will have to learn it the hard way, but the important thing is that you grow to be better and do better. After all, you are not alone in thinking that you suck. We all suck in our own humanly imperfect ways.

Like what Monica said, “Welcome to the real world. It sucks! You’re gonna love it!”