What an exciting time it is to graduate from high school. Graduation represents the culmination of years of sacrifice, hard work, and dedication to success. Graduating high school and entering the young adult world can also bring with it some anxious anticipation:
Some will be going off to colleges or university to further their education and prepare for their professional future.
Others will be going to trade schools to start out their profession in less time (and less debt).
While others may choose to take a period of time off after graduation but before starting their next, new thing.
Regardless of the direction teens choose in their upcoming young adult journey, it's normal to feel a little stress and anxiety.
6 Tips for Beginning Your Young Adult Journey
One strategy that can help reduce stress and anxiety is being prepared. Thinking ahead and planning for your future can help reduce the uncertainty.
Planning for what you will need on this new journey can help increase your confidence and as a result, lower the stress and anxiety around starting down this new path.
1. Write Out What You Want to Accomplish
It's hard to get somewhere if you don't know where "there" is. This doesn't mean that you need to know what you want to do professionally for the rest of your life. But break down what you want to accomplish into near future goals.
Think about what you want to accomplish this year, in 3 years, 5 years, etc. These can be goals that you set for your education, career, self-care and recreation, or other areas of your life. Write your goals down and identify achievable steps that you can take to accomplish these goals. Remember, you can revise as you go as more information becomes available.
2. Explore the Fun Side of Life
What a great time it is to explore different interests, hobbies, or life passions. Learning early on how to find balance between work and your life is an important skill to learn. This will lead to a more fulfilled life as well as help prevent burnout.
Who knows, exploring this side of your life may also help you to identify what you want to study in college.
3. Strengthen Your Foundation & Launch Pad
When setting out as a young adult, it's important to have a strong support group. Having a strong support group acts like a strong foundation for a home. A foundation will provide the support needed for future stability.
This foundation can also act as a launching pad for you. The stronger the foundation in the support you have, the further and more successfully you can launch your young adult life.
You can also start to develop professional supports by networking with others who may be interested in what you would like to do in life. Find clubs or organizations around what you would like to do and start finding others with similar interests.
4. You Are What You Do Repeatedly
Habits can be challenging to establish but once established, they can be hard to break. These include both the good habits and the not so good habits.
Identify the healthy habits that will be helpful for you in creating a happy and successful life. Then, prioritize developing those healthy habits when you first start out.
Don't wait to start practicing healthy habits. The sooner you start, the sooner they will become habits, and the sooner you can find the life benefits of healthy habits.
Along with healthy habits, avoid developing unhealthy habits. Identify what those might be in your life and work to avoid creating those habits. If you have already created unhealthy habits, now is the time to break them and replace them.
5. Embrace the Journey
My, oh my, is this journey into young adulthood exciting! It is going to be full of adventure, fun, challenges, heartache, anticipation, disappointment, success, accomplishments, and so much more.
These are the years where you can let life shape who you will become, or you can embrace the journey and choose who you will become. There will be so many new opportunities in education, career, relationships, personal development, and more.
Be open to new experiences and opportunities. As you proceed with a balanced life, take on those challenges that will help you accomplish the goals you set for your life.
6. Lean on Those Who Have Gone Before
There are many people in your life who have done this young adult adventure thing before. Their journey will have been different. It was a different time when they traveled this road and years may have passed since they have been young adults.
While the journey may be different, there was wisdom and insight gained along the way
based on their experiences. Draw on that wisdom and experience from the adults in your life you trust.
Your parents can be a great source of guidance and support. You may have a professor at college who acts as a mentor. A relative or extended family member or even a close friend's parents who have become like 2nd parents to you.
There are those in your life who would love to support you along the way. Take those opportunities to draw on their own experience and wisdom they gleaned in their young adult journey. And remember, you'll be that person at some point in your life too.
And for When the Journey Takes Unexpected Twists: Young Adult Counseling
Today, colleges and universities are overwhelmed with the mental health demands of their students. The American Psychological Assocation (APA) published an article on this very topic.
In this article, they state that during the 2020-2021 school year, 60% of colleges student meet the criteria for at least one mental health challenge. That is a staggering number.
If you feel like you are alone in your struggle with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, ADHD, trauma, PTSD, or other challenges, you are not.
There are those young adult counselors who specialize in providing counseling to young adults who can help. As a young adult therapist who has been providing counseling for teens and therapy for young adults since 2003, young adult counseling can help.
I have seen many teens and young adults start therapy unsure of whether it will be effective for them. They believe that it has been effective for other young adults but there can be a feeling that it won't be for them.
Do you know the secret ingredients to success in therapy? It is the following:
Find a counselor who specializes in teen therapy or young adult counseling.
Show up to counseling -- especially when you don't want to.
Take one step outside your comfort zone in opening up to your therapist. Then when that becomes comfortable, take another step outside your comfort zone in opening up, and continue.
Remember, most of young adult therapy is what you do in between the sessions.
It feels good to unload the burden you've been carrying to your therapist in session. And it's what you do in between sessions that helps you to grow and overcome.
If you can do those 4 things, chances are very high that you will overcome the emotional or behavioral obstacle in the way of your happiness.
Katy Teen & Family Counseling: Specializing in Young Adult Counseling Katy, TX & Houston
You have what it takes to undertake this journey into young adulthood. If there are emotional or behavioral obstacles in your way, don't wait. Find a specialist in young adult counseling and start learning how to overcome those obstacles today.
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, our therapists specialize in teen therapy, young adult counseling, and family therapy.
At our Katy, TX location, we have 70+ years of combined experience. If you are ready to meet with one of our young adult therapists, all you need to do is follow these three simple steps:
Contact Katy Teen & Family Counseling
Talk with one of our caring therapists
Begin the healing process today!
Other Therapy and Counseling Services Offered at Katy Teen & Family Counseling
At Katy Teen & Family Counseling, we provide a variety of therapy approaches that are supported by research and shown to be effective. Some of the teen therapy and young adult counseling we offer are:
Board Certified Neurofeedback Therapy
Peak performance (optimal academic brain performance)
Peak performance (optimal athletic brain performance)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR Therapy)
Group Therapy for Teens
Body Image
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling
Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling can be very effective. The secret ingredient to success is each person willing to look at themselves and work to do things differently, together. When a marriage counselor or couples therapist has this to work with, the success rate can be very high.
Sometimes life will throw challenges at us that create situations that put strain on our marriage or relationship. It may be due to:
Choices and actions that have been made by one partner.
Financial downturn in the economy creating financial strain.
Feeling like you're growing apart.
Feeling like you don't have as much in common as you used to.
Whatever the reason may be, marriage counseling and couples therapy can help. Couples therapy and marriage counseling has also been found to work in less time than individual therapy.
If you've worked hard for this relationship and find that there are now barriers in the way of maintaining a healthy relationship, contact us at Katy Teen & Family Counseling.
About the Author
Jason Drake is a Licensed Clinical Worker - Supervisor (LCSW-S), Board Certified in Neurofeedback, EMDR trained, and a Certified Brain Health Professional through the Amen Clinics. He has provided therapy to teens, young adults, and families since 2003 and is the Owner & Lead Clinician at Katy Teen & Family Counseling and Katy Counseling for Men.
He specializes in leading teams of high performing therapists who also specialize in teen therapy, counseling young adults, and family counseling.
Jason is also a leader in the field of teen, young adult, and family counseling and has provided expert coaching and technical assistance to teen Residential Treatment Centers across the country.
Jason is also a regular contributor to various magazines and publications lending his expertise to various mental health related topics. You can check these articles out on our "Featured Articles" service page on our website.
He has also been a guest on Fox 26 Houston and on a podcast, "Grow a Group Practice" with Alison Pidgeon.
If you are ready to start teen counseling or young adult therapy call, text, or email us today!
Phone Number: 281-519-6364
