Crises of adulthood: youth 27-33 and maturity 33-35, late adulthood - how to overcome

Essence of the period

Adulthood is a period of working and building a family. Communication, work, family are the main types of activity, only their ratio changes. Moreover, communication passes through a connecting thread between two others; it rarely acts as an independent type.

New growths of maturity include:

• building a life strategy;
• the phenomenon of “acme” (the peak of development, activity and success of the individual);
• searching for the meaning of life and following it;
• a new intellectual level (dialectical thinking, the ability to independently formulate problems);
• parenthood.

All stages of adulthood are similar to each other (work and family), so they are often considered in the same context. Meanwhile, there are three crisis stages of adulthood - 30 years, 40 years and 50 years. The crisis of 30 and 40 years is a search for the meaning of life, an assessment of the days lived, adjustment of life plans, awareness of the loss of youth, doubts about the correctness of the path lived and the advisability of following it. Read more about midlife crises in the article “Middle age and the crisis in men and women.”

The period of adulthood, especially late adulthood, has been studied less than, for example, adolescence or youth. The fact is that in maturity a person has already been formed as a person, and developmental psychology often intersects with pedagogy, examining issues of development and education. In adulthood, we can only talk about re-education and self-education, and this is another job. In terms of personality development and its formation into maturity, little influences a person. However, recently the interest of psychologists in this age period has increased, but so far there is little theoretical and practical data.

Early adulthood or youth

The stage of completion of vocational training and final entry into adulthood. The personality moves from the accumulation of knowledge, skills and abilities to practical application. Features of this period include:

• personal stabilization (psychological, financial, moral, etc.);
• awareness of the main interests in life, prioritization, self-knowledge;
• complete separation from parental care, independent development of life;
• focus on the future, activity for the sake of a future good life.

The success of this period and the successful resolution of the crisis largely depends on the correctness of the chosen profession. Otherwise, the person becomes disoriented, confused and afraid. In an unfavorable situation, a person continues to depend on someone financially, and therefore morally; views on the future are pessimistic; negative attitude towards oneself.

Middle adulthood or maturity

The period of peak professional and personal self-realization and development. If at the previous stage individual personal characteristics “settled down,” then here they are “preserved” and remain without significant changes throughout the entire course of life.

Maturity is conventionally divided into two more periods: early maturity (40-49 years) and late maturity (50-60). Early maturity is characterized by:

• summing up life (focus on the future fades away, more importance is given to the present and past);
• rethinking past days, analyzing the correspondence of present life and plans with actions from youth and youth;
• awareness of the limitations of one’s own capabilities (time and health as well);
• reducing the level of claims (not always, but often).

The severity and depth of the crisis depends on the difference between the image of an ideal life for an individual and the image of real life. The greater the inconsistency and frustration from unfulfilled expectations, the stronger the crisis.

As a rule, during this same period there is a contradictory decrease in self-esteem and a person’s feeling of being young again, at the beginning of his journey, that is, the perception of age changes.

Late maturity is the stage of accepting age and experience, the cessation of attempts at rejuvenation (although rejuvenation actually occurs with the awareness of the correctness and meaningfulness of the path), the maximum disclosure of the individual’s potential. Psychologically this manifests itself:

• complete relief from complexes;
• a complete and adequate understanding of one’s interests, priorities, abilities, place in life;
• orientation towards the present rather than the past or future;
• the desire to achieve maximum self-realization and experience the world around us (understand it, see it, feel it).

Late adulthood

Late adulthood is an alternative name for the period of old age. Read more about this in the article “Age-related crises of old age in psychology - a brief description of what they are, symptoms, how to survive.”

Signs and manifestations

A difficult period can manifest itself in different ways, also depending on gender.

In men

Representatives of the stronger sex at this time may demonstrate difficulties in their personal lives in different ways.

1. Unsustainable groups of peopleThose who are not able to outline internal guidelines grab onto all the things at once and never bring them to the end.

   They cannot decide on a profession, they float “with the flow of life in hitchhiking mode.”

2. 
   Closed men , on the contrary, on the one hand, set firm guidelines, and therefore are generally reliable.
   But, on the other hand, such people are easy to suppress, so they seriously evaluate the usual value system and, as a result, become depressed due to regrets about the aimless “early years”.

3. So-called child prodigies achieve success early and overcome difficult professional challenges, so the main problem during a crisis is considered to be the blurred boundary between work and personal life. In this case, people are afraid to let others in, fearing ridicule and unjustified expectations in the eyes of others.

Among women

1. "Caring" girls are unable to solve the problems that the new reality poses to them. Seemingly cut off from their parents’ nest, they experience an inability to cope with new responsibilities and gain independence and self-sufficiency.

   They become vulnerable to new blows of fate, which is complicated, for example, by factors such as economic dependence on a life partner, an incorrectly chosen profession or a bad position.

   Inside the female soul, self-doubt grows like a snowball, and emptiness in the sphere of personal achievements is increasingly felt. It seems that life is losing meaning, and the feeling of embitterment increases.

2. Second category women who prefer to carefully weigh everything in life are, in a crisis phase, puzzled by the choice between family and work. Unlike girls of the first category, the second have clearly defined life goals, and also laid the foundation for a future career.

   However, representatives of the fair sex suppress that part of their “I” that wants to make a career. At the same time, a person feels anxiety, vague fears about his own future, and dissatisfaction with his social role in the family and society.

Features of age

The main features of the period of adulthood include:

• change in motives, strengthening the influence of universal human values, growth of general motivation;
• growth in the ability to plan and implement actions in accordance with these values;
• increased ability to mobilize one’s own resources during life’s difficulties;
• an objective assessment of one’s strengths and weaknesses, readiness for new and more complex actions, overcoming difficulties, and achieving new heights.

The named features are neoplasms of adulthood. They do not necessarily occur simultaneously; more often, some serve as a trigger for other changes or cause a higher level of development in other elements. If in previous periods development proceeds evenly across all spheres and directions of the personality at once, then the flourishing of maturity has a very chaotic or hierarchical character.

Features of crises

Crises of adulthood differ from the crises that precede them - they do not have a clear chronology and are to a greater extent personal crises rather than age-related. The duration, severity, and moment of occurrence depend more on personal circumstances rather than on age.

A pronounced internal desire for growth and improvement can significantly bring the crises of adulthood, as well as the period of adulthood itself, closer. It is at this time that physical and psychological ages tend to diverge as much as possible.

Other factors approaching and provoking a crisis include:

• deterioration of health (illness, hormonal changes);
• economic problems;
• political instability in the country;
• change of habitual lifestyle;
• increasing demands and expectations;
• social pressure.

There is a high risk of a personal crisis superimposing an age crisis. Then the flow will be more difficult, as will the rethinking of life.

Main mistakes to avoid

Usually during this period people make the following typical mistakes:

1. 
   Attempts to escape from the crisis by “joining” another person, for example, through entering into a civil marriage or changing established family traditions.
   In this way, only one thing can be achieved - to delay the path of personal development, to prevent the search for the right path for the progress of one’s own “I”.

2. The desire, when faced with the first difficult choice, to make it final. Despite the fact that a person experiencing a crisis of adulthood seems to have lost everything, one must understand that life does not end at 23 years old. There are many historical examples of people achieving significant success in life in adulthood. Remember: years are just numbers and are completely unimportant.
3. Stubborn confrontation and rejection of external reality. With this approach to what is happening, you will only replenish the source of disappointment. Understand that it is impossible to comprehend the complexity of this world. But it is possible to change your attitude towards the most difficult and delicate situation.

How to overcome crises

To successfully overcome crises of adulthood, you need to know the dangerous areas and pay attention to them (the individual does not always clearly understand the reason for his discomfort).

Early adulthood

For the crisis of early adulthood this is:

• leaving parental care and eliminating dependence on parents;
• drawing up life plans and beginning to implement them;
• development of an individual style and lifestyle, self-actualization, self-knowledge;
• awareness of one’s independence, adulthood, rights and responsibilities;
• choosing a life partner, preparing for relationships and marriage;
• improving skills in the chosen specialization.

These points should be taken as a basis and considered as a guide to action. Assess your worth and feelings for each of them. If you have any difficulties, contact a loved one or a psychologist. It is important that each component is completed, then the crisis will pass correctly. You may not even notice the crisis if each of these areas is already developing adequately.

Middle adulthood

What is important to know for the mid-adult crisis:

• Comparison of real life and ideal life is natural (occurs around the age of 30), and the divergence of these structures is also normal. After all, you planned your life when you were young, with little experience and great illusions. Anxiety and doubts are normal, you need to accept them and soberly assess the situation.
• In accordance with a sober assessment of your real capabilities and experience, adjust your life plan (30 years).
• After 30 years, a person becomes acquainted with all parts of the “I”, including those not accepted or ignored before. During the same period, active career advancement and the solution of material and housing problems occur.
• The crisis of 40 years is manifested by a characteristic symptom - a change in attitude towards what was previously important and significant, interesting, or, on the contrary, frightening and unpleasant. A person literally does not recognize himself, but this is not scary. Just accept the changes and get to know yourself again. Avoid being judged “bad” or “good”, don’t be afraid to change your social circle, don’t cling to people. Personal harmony is more valuable than any relationship.
• At 30-40 years old, most of the experiences are associated with personal failure. There is a need to do something socially significant, to leave your mark on society. If you can’t decide what exactly you are ready to create, then get involved in charity work or teaching the younger generation.
• The crisis of 40 years is characterized by doubts about the correctness of life. Work on emotional flexibility and self-regulation, and develop empathy for younger and older generations. Remember your main advantage over young people is experience. Looking at the elderly, realize, but accept without fear or panic, the limited time. Reconsider your life values, pay attention to their meaningfulness and realism, family and friends. Create a new self-image and adjust your living conditions. Get rid of illusions and hopes as much as possible, think rationally and practically. You have no time to have your head in the clouds. Find a new realistic goal in life.

Late adulthood

Successful passage of the crisis of mid-adulthood determines the stabilization of life at 40-50 years of age, new creative, professional and personal blossoming, and expansion of opportunities. If the crisis was not resolved safely, then by the age of 50 it returns with renewed vigor:

• refusing to accept his changes, a person plunges headlong into work and clings to his place;
• angry at the younger generation and perceives them as a threat;
• lives in constant stress, fear, disharmony.

Excessive “conservation” and reluctance to change anything leads to stagnation and even lag in the profession and life. By the way, there is a tendency towards rejuvenation of this period, which is associated with the high rate of development of society. Society requires constant changes from its participants, and therefore falling behind in life may occur before the age of 50. A clear example is informatization, the computerization of society. For example, “old school” teachers need to master the Internet and modern technologies in order to conduct innovative lessons. Otherwise, the specialist will fall behind, professionalism will decrease, and the place will be taken by someone young and well-versed in computers.

Continuing education will help resolve this crisis. This means regular confirmation and improvement of qualifications, skills, competencies, retraining courses, etc. In parallel with this, you need to work on professional and intellectual flexibility.

During this period, it is necessary to find new professional and life values, guidelines, and meanings. Otherwise, further life will turn into a painful wait for the end of the allotted days. Why are some old people cheerful and kind, while others are angry and offended? Some were able to accept their new selves, rebuild their lives and overcome the crisis, others were not.

Definition and scientific interpretations

The so-called period of early adulthood is a time of new beginnings in all areas of adult life, be it personal relationships or professional success.
The beginning of a new path means plans and hopes, dreams and dreams. Therefore, one of the most important tasks at this age is the need to make what you want into reality, but, most importantly, to adapt to the new reality.

The crisis of early adulthood is so named because it occurs at a time when a person first looks back on his past years , says goodbye to youth and enters adulthood, which has completely different life tasks, different from the usual ones.

Very often this process is associated with negative experiences, because a person’s life ideas may not be entirely correct, and life may suddenly not be so easy and understandable. It is for this reason that sometimes important foundations of the usual way of life are destroyed and the entire human personality is rebuilt.

In the scientific literature on psychology, the crisis of early adulthood is sometimes called “meeting adulthood.” The phenomenon is viewed as an inevitable crisis - one that arises in most people as a necessary condition for full personal development.

There are several scientific interpretations of the age period - it has been carefully studied by both domestic scientists and foreign researchers.

For example , according to K. Jung, the main content of the crisis of early adulthood is a person’s collision with the demands of reality that do not correspond to his own ideas about the world order.

This is due to too high expectations, underestimation of difficulties from the outside world, unfounded optimism and negativism. And from the position of B. Livehud, obtaining higher education prolongs youth and disrupts the development of the first phase of adult existence, which provokes a crisis.