5 Milestones and The Stress That Comes with Them

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Growing older can be both fun and difficult – and yes, it’s something everyone goes through. Adulthood comes with a range of different challenges, no matter where you’re located in the world. 

Of course, everyone is different. But there are typical milestones that tend to occur as you come to the end of high school and the years following it. 

Which is why it’s good to be prepared and to think about them. 

Completing High School Exams
High school is an amazing period in most people’s lives. A time when you make lifelong friends and learn invaluable skills, it’s a milestone that many people look back on fondly. However, there’s one big stress that comes with it – exams. 

Exams are never fun – no matter what year you’re in or how old you are. But they are particularly stressful when the prospect of university, college or an apprenticeship is in sight, but you first have to get the grades. 

Although it won’t combat the stress altogether, it’s good to try and seek support from your teachers, friends and other additional help if you need it throughout this time. Ensuring that your mental health is as good as it can possibly be, you’ll go into the exams feeling confident and have the self-belief to succeed. 

College/University 
Once you graduate from high school, you might want to head to college or university. And while this is a very exciting time – it’s also a daunting one. Not only will you want to make new friends, but you have to get comfortable within a new environment and try to get good grades so that you can graduate successfully with your degree.

Luckily, within many institutions, there are resources available to help with your stress. This isn’t only in the form of a professional Guidance Counsellor, but can be in a more casual way – such as having days in which they have puppies or other animals that you can go and pet to help take your mind off of exam stress.

Getting a New Job
Whether you’ve gone to university or not, you will aim to get a job. An extraordinary milestone in your life, your first job will help you to learn new skills and, most importantly, earn your own money. 

But the process of getting a job and continuing to excel within it is very scary to many. Firstly, you’ll need to ace the interview – and when it’s your first interview, you might go in feeling the most anxious you ever have.

To help combat this, you should try and sit down and prepare for it. Writing down information about the employer, yourself and answering typical interview questions, you’ll feel more organized and ready for whatever question they throw your way.

​Finding A Property 
Once you have a job, you might want to consider moving out and finding your own place. Whether this is a condo, apartment or a house, the process of finding the right place for your budget and your taste can be challenging. 

Unfortunately, there is no magic spell for fixing this stress, but there are ways in which you can make it simpler – such as comparing and contrasting different properties with the help of a family member or asking the advice of your realtor – just keep in mind that they might be biased!
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Having a Child
Although not everyone, of course, wants children, for some it’s a milestone that they have been looking forward to since they were younger. But before having a child, you first need to decide if you’re ready. This will involve looking into your finances (babies aren’t cheap to have!), live in a secure environment, considering the support you have etc. 

As well as this, you’ll also want to ensure that you can have children, before getting your hopes up. Unfortunately, not everyone can have children naturally. Which is why many seek additional help, either through a male infertility clinic, IVF or adoption.

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By Iconic Chica Mag Contributors