How to Emotionally Transition Into Adulthood
Identify your personal values., Complete the best possible future self exercise., Reject conformity—be you.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Identify your personal values.
Being an adult emotionally means having an understanding of what you believe in and stand for.
Your personal values are like the roadmap that guides you through life.
They are the principles and ideas that drive your decisions and goals.
When your values align with the choices you make in daily life, you feel more confident.
Identify your values by asking yourself:
What issues are you passionate about debating or learning about? Why? If your house was on fire (and all living beings were safely out) what three items would you rescue? Why? What would you like to change about your local community? What would you like to change about the world in general, and why? -
Step 2: Complete the best possible future self exercise.
In addition to defining your personal values, your emotional development can also be improved by determining what you want your future to look like.
You can do this by performing the Best Possible Self exercise developed by positive psychologists.Choose a time period in the future (e.g. 5 years from now) and envision yourself being the very best version of you.
See your best possible self clearly and vividly.
See all the goals you have worked hard to achieve.
You may have just passed a milestone or realized one of your major life dreams.
Write down the details of the image you see.
Now, define which character strengths will be necessary—those that you already hold and those you may need to develop—for you to make this vision a reality.
Another similar option is to create a vision board.
You can decorate a poster board with magazine clippings, drawings, and words and phrases that represent the short and long-term goals that you would like to achieve.
Then, place the poster board where you will see it every day.
As you grow and change, you can add, adjust, or remove things from the poster board. , Another quality of an emotionally mature adult is being able to securely be who you are, without shame or fear.
Adolescents and young adults are often susceptible to peer pressure, following the masses based on personal interests, style, and even behaviorism.
As you mature, it is important to move past this conformist attitude in favor of having the courage and self-awareness to just be you.Even as a teenager, you have the ability to be independent in many ways.
Remember that it is okay if people don’t agree with you all of the time or if you have different interests and goals compared with your peers.
Take the time to be your own unique self.
Do or say something on a daily basis that expresses who you are without concern for the approval of others.
Remember what you enjoyed doing as a child, and reconnect with these interests or hobbies.
Get comfortable with solitude.
Spend some time each day connecting with your deepest, truest self outside the presence of others. -
Step 3: Reject conformity—be you.
Detailed Guide
Being an adult emotionally means having an understanding of what you believe in and stand for.
Your personal values are like the roadmap that guides you through life.
They are the principles and ideas that drive your decisions and goals.
When your values align with the choices you make in daily life, you feel more confident.
Identify your values by asking yourself:
What issues are you passionate about debating or learning about? Why? If your house was on fire (and all living beings were safely out) what three items would you rescue? Why? What would you like to change about your local community? What would you like to change about the world in general, and why?
In addition to defining your personal values, your emotional development can also be improved by determining what you want your future to look like.
You can do this by performing the Best Possible Self exercise developed by positive psychologists.Choose a time period in the future (e.g. 5 years from now) and envision yourself being the very best version of you.
See your best possible self clearly and vividly.
See all the goals you have worked hard to achieve.
You may have just passed a milestone or realized one of your major life dreams.
Write down the details of the image you see.
Now, define which character strengths will be necessary—those that you already hold and those you may need to develop—for you to make this vision a reality.
Another similar option is to create a vision board.
You can decorate a poster board with magazine clippings, drawings, and words and phrases that represent the short and long-term goals that you would like to achieve.
Then, place the poster board where you will see it every day.
As you grow and change, you can add, adjust, or remove things from the poster board. , Another quality of an emotionally mature adult is being able to securely be who you are, without shame or fear.
Adolescents and young adults are often susceptible to peer pressure, following the masses based on personal interests, style, and even behaviorism.
As you mature, it is important to move past this conformist attitude in favor of having the courage and self-awareness to just be you.Even as a teenager, you have the ability to be independent in many ways.
Remember that it is okay if people don’t agree with you all of the time or if you have different interests and goals compared with your peers.
Take the time to be your own unique self.
Do or say something on a daily basis that expresses who you are without concern for the approval of others.
Remember what you enjoyed doing as a child, and reconnect with these interests or hobbies.
Get comfortable with solitude.
Spend some time each day connecting with your deepest, truest self outside the presence of others.
About the Author
Kathryn Harvey
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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