Being an adult can be difficult. No one taught me how to negotiate my salary for a job, for example. It was just something I had to figure out on my own and it made moving up in the working world a bit rocky. That said, I've always known how to cook well and clean properly, which is more than I can say about some of the people I know. Everyone has their own strengths. I also vastly prefer being an adult to being a teenager! It's a lot more fun.
After Redditor IllustriousLaw_4248 asked the online community, "What is an adult problem that no one prepared you for?" people shared some of their experiences.
"It starts so slowly..."
Watching your parents growing old. It starts so slowly and suddenly you have to help your father carrying things, notice how tired they have become...
"My shoulders and neck..."
Me: "My shoulders and neck hurt every morning when I get out of the bed. Maybe I damaged something?"
My Doctor: "You are 32... Thats the new normal now."
"Having to decide..."
Having to decide what you want to have for dinner every day for the rest of your life.
This one is definitely annoying.
And especially so when you've had a busy day of work and realize you forgot to take out some meat to defrost let alone found the time to prep some vegetables. Cooking dinner can be more time consuming than people think.
"Comparing yourself..."
Comparing yourself to your parents when they were your age and realizing they didn't know what the hell they were doing either.
"As a kid..."
Loneliness.
As a kid, there were always lots of other kids around. You weren't left completely unattended for any significant period of time. As an adult, I can go weeks without talking to anyone about anything not work-related.
"School is so easy..."
It takes a lot more work to maintain relationships as an adult. School is so easy when you are stuck together but even if your colleagues are amazing it isn't the same.
It definitely is difficult.
And takes a lot of effort. I do my best to stay on top of my friends and what they're doing, but it can be draining when you have work and other responsibilities.
"Looking in the mirror..."
Looking in the mirror every day and thinking "girl, you look tired." And then realizing one day that this is how my face looks now.
"As a kid, you just hung out."
Making friends and connections without spending a fortune. As a kid, you just hung out. As an adult, it seems like I need to spend $60 for a monthly membership or $40 for a night out. It's like a pay-to-play system.
Going out is EXPENSIVE.
I say that as someone who loves to go out (but who gets creative with it thanks to watching their wallet.
"No one told me..."
No one told me how incompetent adults would be. When I was a kid I thought people with jobs and people, in general, would be competent. Boy was I wrong. Competent people are the exception, not the norm.
This is accurate.
The number of stupid people I had to deal with on a daily basis when I worked retail was soul-crushing.
"When I became an adult..."
How fast you can get out of shape. For me exercise was always a part of socialization, i.e. teams, competition. When I became an adult and wanted to get back in shape it was just me and the equipment.
Being an adult doesn't have to be depressing.
Life can be nice––but it takes a certain investment. That's easier said than done, admittedly. Be kinder to yourselves.
Have some of your own stories to share? Need to vent about adulthood? Feel free to do so in the comments section!
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