Here at first direct, we're committed to helping people live a life less ordinary, a life unscripted, and we're on a mission to help people try something new.
We commissioned a survey to dig deeper into the 'quarter-life crisis' phenomenon among 25-35 year olds in the UK, and found over half (56%) are currently going through a crisis, leaving them feeling 'stressed', 'overwhelmed' and 'struggling to cope'.
Financial difficulties are the biggest single cause, with more than half (53%) of people going through a quarter-life crisis admitting they spend more than they earn each month.
However, it's not all doom and gloom, with many of those who've experienced a quarter-life crisis claiming to have discovered more about themselves than those who haven't been through one, and half of respondents agreeing personal difficulties could be a catalyst to a positive future.
So, to find out more about the quarter-life crisis, and learn how people can use it as a spark for change, we teamed up with psychologist, Dr Oliver Robinson, Quarter-Life Crisis Expert and Senior Lecturer for Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Social Work & Counselling at the University of Greenwich, to create a guide: 'How to turn your Quarter-Life Crisis into a Quarter-Life Catalyst' (PDF).
Dr Robinson says there's two sides to a quarter-life crisis. "They're often feared as periods of difficulty and distress, but in my experience they can also be times of openness, curiosity and growth. People may find old habits and coping mechanisms no longer help in the way they used to, and this can act as a spur to explore new ideas, new activities and new ways of overcoming life's challenges."
first direct brought together people who'd never met before to talk about their experiences candidly on camera. Those at the beginning of a crisis reported feelings of anxiety and frustration while those nearing the end talked about relief and the positivity the changes they went through brought them.