Adulting — can we retire this word now? Ha, ha, anyway, when you become an adult , things definitely change, huh? Now you can’t be frivolous anymore. Instead, you’ve got rent or a hefty mortgage to pay in addition to all your other bills .
And let’s not forget breaking your back at work to earn that living. On top of that, there’s a relationship to nurture and, for some people bringing up kids. So when a recent Reddit thread asked, “What is one thing that you don’t like about adult life?” people sure had a lot to say.
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Money
“Money sucks and I hate having to worry about it all the time.”
Oh, I hear this person loud and clear. If only we didn’t have to worry about money and survival and all? Wouldn’t that be nice? I long for days when I don’t have to think about it, that’s all.
This Eating Dilemma
“Figuring out what to make/eat for dinner every day of your life.”
Right? I know meal planning is a great way to help with this, but it’s still hard. I’m constantly racking my brain about what to make for lunch and dinner, so it’s not always the same. Ugh!
This ‘Groundhog Day’ Feeling
“After a while, it all starts to blend together like the movie Groundhog Day .”
OMG, really! I feel a little better knowing that I’m not the only person feeling this way. Like, is there more to life than this? It’s what I end up asking myself frequently.
This Perception
“It’s frustrating how people expect you to have your [stuff] together, even though we all know none of us truly have our [stuff] together all the time.”
I honestly feel bad sometimes that I haven’t accomplished enough in my life.
The Necessity Of Work
“I hate having to work. I’m not against the concept, I fully understand why you have to seek gainful employment. I just hate it.”
I understand this statement completely. I don’t mind working at all because it’s good to have something to do. I just wish that I was able to have my own business, be my own boss, and work as hard or as little as I choose.
Lack Of Time
“There’s never enough time off, it’s work, work, work almost the whole year with a couple of weeks where you can relax for a second and catch your breath.”
Why is it that now that we’re older, our leisure time seems non-existent? I can’t wrap my head around it.
The Loss Of Childhood Wonder
“People have abandoned their inner child and replaced it with sex, celebrity gossip, and judging others who live their truth.”
Oh, yeah! I see that all the time. People’s priorities seem to be a bit off these days. Don’t you think so?
Taxes
“Filing taxes every year. Like, the [government] knows how much I make. Why make me report it? It would be easier for all of us if they just sent a bill of how much we owe.”
I’m doing my taxes soon and I’m so dreading it, lol.
Inability To Relax
“How hard it is to relax.”
You know what, I find myself struggling with that too. Even when I lie down for a few minutes, my mind is racing and going over what I’m going to do next. It never stops!
The Luxury Of Having Summer Off
“No summers off. I would cut my salary in half for that.”
Don’t get me started on that. I’m a total summer person, and it’s the only thing I really look forward to every year. And then poof, it’s gone in a hot second. Like why? I need more time to enjoy it.
The Lack Of Desire To Learn
“Having the knowledge, but not the time, energy, or enthusiasm to learn all the cool stuff you always wanted to know how to do as a kid.”
I hear you. There are so many things I wish I had the time to do. I’m a foodie, so I’m always trying to improve my cooking skills, but I can’t seem to find the time to do any elaborate dishes anymore.
The Necessity Of Chores
“Chores… they take up so much time if you don’t want to live like you’re in a pigpen.”
I swear, no matter how often I clean the kitchen, it’s always messy. There always seems to be something to do around the house, and it’s never-ending.
This Annoying Fact
“Dealing with other emotionally incompetent adults just pisses me off.. like seriously my kids are more mature than some of my colleagues.”
Ha, ha, this one made me laugh. It’s true, though. Sometimes I think, how do these people get by in life? How are they even still alive?
Constant Bills
When you were young, it was easy to save money for something. Am I right? If you wanted a guitar, you had enough money to buy one in just a matter of a few months. If you wanted to go backpacking through Europe, you were able to pull it off. Now, the money seems to go in and go out the next second. Where does it all go?
This Promise Of A Future
“It’s not adulthood that sucks. It’s that ‘the future’ as promised never came. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, we were told that we’d have flying cars and no one would work who didn’t want to. Instead, we got economic stagnation and social backsliding, thanks to one of the literal worst generations of leadership in recorded history, if not the worst.”
Ugh, and the sad part is we had no control over that.
This Constant Struggle
“Giving up becomes more appealing every year I get older.”
I think we all have moments like that. But the truth is, you can’t give up. That’s not an option, and you know that because if it were, you would have already done it. So you have to keep going no matter what.
This Sad Realization
“Knowing the fact that one day, you won’t have your parents to help you anymore, you could easily wind up broke and homeless.”
This one hits me hard — I have to be honest. I try not to think about it because it’s very upsetting to me.
This Fact Of Life
“I think the toughest part is realizing that life can be absolutely [expletive] brutal for no reason and out of nowhere. I think many of us were raised to believe that if we did things a certain way or achieved certain things we’d have a level of protection against the worst life can throw. Like, working hard or getting a decent job, or finding a good partner. And the next thing you know, boom, you’re in an accident and bedridden for months. Or boom, someone you love gets a terrible addiction. Or boom, miscarriage. Boom, fire.”
I literally feel this in my core!
Wow, this was something, huh?
I pretty much agree with everything that these folks said here. When you get older, things definitely look a lot different than when you were a child. That innocence is lost, and reality hits you hard. Now it’s like a fight for survival in a dog-eat-dog world. It’s no wonder many of us are struggling.
