Once you were dreaming of becoming an astronaut, visiting the furthest places, climbing the highest mountains, finding the biggest love, and then it was all gone one day.
Adulthood happened. It knocked on the door, handed you responsibilities you were not ready for and said that everything’s on your shoulders now. So now, most of my fellow dear millennials are juggling between things like the pandemic that made the world feel like an apocalyptic movie you didn’t sign up for, student loans, unaffordable rent, crazy expensive mochas your body nevertheless needs no-questions-asked, barely fine Tinder dates, sleepless Netflix binges, stressful jobs or the even more stressful absence of one, and lots other things nobody prepared us for.
So, dear adults, even though we can’t just get back to our childhood which equals devouring Harry Potter books and carelessly sleeping under the stairs, we can laugh at the absurdity we’re in right now. Scroll down through the best tweets that sum up adult life below and prepare to laugh and cry, and then laugh. Who cares, they already think of millennials as not very stable ones.
This post may include affiliate links.
But "chilling" is an important part of life. We're not meant for constant work - look at other hunter/carnevore animals. Took me a long time to understand this, but I am now chilling without feeling guilty - even though there's a million things I "should have done".
Yes!! Some of the things that make us "should" all over ourselves is crap made up by this weird system we live in. I do what I can, within my means and in the best interest of my family. We bond through "chilling" together. The whole fam can put their worries down for a second and it's ok.
Load More Replies...
Take it from a 70-year-old: there's a point past adulting (senioring?) when so much of that s**t doesn't matter anymore. The best part of retiring isn't that you don't need to work anymore, it's that you reach a point when far less matters to you — or needs to matter. Until health becomes the Big Thing.
I'm retired but not senioring yet (I love that term, btw) there's definitely a difference. I have half the weight off my shoulders (worked/ saved enough to retire young) but still have the technicalities of traditional adulting (teenager in high school, one just moved out, caring for my elderly father and ill hubby). You've earned those "it doesn't matter" stripes 😉 I'm looking forward to senioring someday!!
Load More Replies...
In an attempt to solve this problem, I've worked on getting rid of as many unnecessary and boring tasks as I reasonably could. For example I abolished ironing, and that was a great day for freedom in the tiny republic of my home.
“...tiny republic of my home.” is absolutely fantastic!
Load More Replies...
My general feeling about this, and I'm in my 40s now, is that sooner or later I'll die and not need to do some of it, thereby winning at life.
🤣 you've made it "over the hill". I'm in my 40s too and am finally starting to truly understand this phrase.
Load More Replies...
Me this fine morning in sunny and yet cold cold bangalore, make sure my son is attending his online class, cook breakfast, feed my younger one, ensure that husband makes the elder one eats as soon as class is over and go dozing off for three hours. I have a huge pile of laundry to take care of, weekend cleaning dusting etc and cooking. Couldn't bring myself to it 🤣 i told the fam I'm chilling let me be, I'll get up in time for cooking lunch, the fruits, snacks salad etc are where they are always so help yourselves. Was a good three hours ❤️
How did so many people grow up with this mindset? Did they not have to put in effort in anything before they became an adult?
There is a big difference between "never putting effort in anything" and running a deadly race against yourself each and every day, like some people (feel they have to) do...
Load More Replies...
Yes! I don't think people realize how much maintaining our existence really is. Like outside of work, we all have to maintain ourselves or constantly be doing something to just exist. So in all reality we are always being productive even when we are not getting paid for it. For example, getting up showering, brushing teeth, hair, and any other hygiene thing, takes effort. Maintaining our homes, cars, kids, self, and just existing is work. No one can get out of doing these things in order to live. It's hard enough maintaining ourselves, let alone working 60 to 80 hours a week. We really can't be lazy when you think about it. Because their is always something or someone that has to be maintained. Which is why I find it sad that people think folks who don't earn money by working are somehow not productive or just being lazy. Not at all the case. Even the most laziest of people still have to maintain themselves and put in effort to just exist day to day. It really makes you see how hard existing is and how much pressure is put on all of us to work. Not to mention having to work for food just to eat and stay alive. Like you're telling me if I don't make enough money I'll be denied a thing I literally need to stay alive? That's absolutely insane and wrong when you think about it. Starving people for no reason when there is plenty of food to go around. Placing a condition on human beings being able to eat is so messed up. Just saying.
unlike my husband who seems not to have a 'to do' list but keeps telling me to sit down...If I sit down - nothing happens...
My moto is " ChillinZ like a Penguin cause this is the way" Combines my favorite critters and Grogu. 5wb3l2-61e...ad5dce.jpg 
Had a meltdown 3hrs ago that resulted in me yelling, “…ffs can’t it just wait!” I then calmly walked away, went to my room and breathed for a solid hour. 🤣🤣 I DID NOT turn on the tv. I DID NOT browse the internet on my phone. I just sat on the bed, stared at the wall and breathed. 🤣🤣 it’s funny now but 3hrs ago, idk…I needed an effing break damn it.
It's amazing how we plan to finish a million things on weekend & then chilling for an hour extends & leads to planning to do the same things & more the next weekend!
omg yes. Life is relentless. So demanding. So much to do every single day. Move breathe wash clean pay work sleep eat poo (probably should use more commas - not an Oxford comma of course).
I'm mega adult at 56. I just say I'm ignoring s**t and taking a nap from it. For a day.
I forget. Simply forget. I got a stress-diagnosis... and the simplest things i forget. Is just as bad...
Yes! It never ends. You solve one problem and BAM 10 more shows up. And then you have to prioritize and some problems just sit there for a long time to stress you out...
Navigating through adulthood is the job of a lifetime. I have been an adult for more than a decade, and I am still learning to be one. I suspect I am not the only one. So I spoke with Francis Merson, the clinical psychologist awarded the Australian Psychology Society Prize in 2015, who was happy to share some very interesting and useful insights about it.
“People can often get stuck in patterns of behavior during childhood which persist into adulthood and prevent them developing true autonomy,” Francis said and added that there are many ways in which this can happen. “People who have been traumatized can internalize a victim identity, which makes it scary for them to act independently as adults. People who are emotionally neglected can also revert to child-like modes, where they rely excessively on partners and friends to help them deal with the world and their own emotions.”
It can also happen to people who are overindulged since they “might grow up with the expectation that others should sort out their lives for them,” Francis added.
Even though it might be easy to judge people who just can’t seem to adult properly, Francis argues that it’s important to be compassionate and remember that these people didn’t choose the early experiences that underpin their difficulties today.
More importantly, Francis argues that there’s no such thing as the perfect adult—“someone who is unfailingly responsible, rational and emotionally balanced. We all have moments when we act like kids: we get mad over trivial stuff; we panic needlessly; we sulk when we’re criticized.” Having said that, the clinical psychologist warned that “if these behaviors are the rule, rather than the exception, then it’s possible there are some roadblocks on the way to adulthood.”
It's mostly bills now... When I was younger I used to have penpals from around the world!
“And, of course, no one turns 18 and suddenly finds themselves fully rational, responsible and ready to smash all their life goals. The knowledge and skills involved in adulthood are accrued across the lifespan, gradually allowing you to become a more effective actor in the world, able to pursue your own interests while balancing them against the interests of others,” Francis said and added that essentially, we are all works in progress: becoming an adult is a lifelong pursuit. Meanwhile, “Immaturity happens when people are not progressing, when they are stuck in behaviors that aren’t helpful for them at their stage of life.”
There are many aspects of the transition into adulthood. Francis elaborated: “it means learning to act rationally, rather than just react emotionally. Adults also seek relationships of equality and reciprocity, rather than just someone to look after them. Adults are in touch with their values, and are proactive in reaching their goals. And adults are realistic, particularly about who they are. This requires gaining insight into one’s own motivations, behavior, emotional triggers, strengths and weaknesses.”
Francis also noted that “it’s important to emphasize that the idea of independence in adulthood does not mean you don’t rely on others.” He explained that we are social animals, and we need each other to survive and flourish. “The independence of adulthood is more like the independence of a nation, which interacts with other nations on an equal footing, makes independent decisions and is responsible for its internal affairs.”
For those who think that adulthood is a lot of work, Francis says that it’s worth it. “What you get in return is the power to flourish on your own terms. By acting as a child in an adult world, it’s much harder to build a life you can be proud of,” the clinical psychologist concluded.
Take your pillow when you visit friends. They will not be insulted. They will understand
ya'll know im gonna hit up that lego section in walmart ^.^
I kind of lie there with one eye open - very dangerous if you’ve already turned off your alarm
If you're a musician, that's typically the best available career move, yes.
I love my mid afternoon naps. As a kid I found them boring, but as an adult I like to lay down for a half hour or so and snooze.
You actually subscribed? I always thought it just drops on your head like a brick
Without the drawer, they're in a pile. Without the pile, they're around the house. But they are NEVER in the trash because I need each one of the 18 chargers that work with nothing in my house. I just do.
Using a good pen has always brought me joy. Maybe I'm weird but I love stationary.
Well, I'm not an adult yet and I've read BP for long enough to realize that most adults in authority are kind of frauds haha. I have mastered the ability to guess what your childhood was like based on your behavior as an authoritative figure, ooooo *intense music as I open my third eye*
I truly am frightened on these multi lane hiways just stay to the right we gotta turn off somewhere!
Note: this post originally had 119 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
What makes me sad is that so many people are having such a hard time... living. And why are they all so sore? It's heartbreaking.
Load More Replies...
You are in good company, ZAPanda. Would you like a hot chocolate?
Load More Replies...
You know you are old when you can look back to when you were 50 and reminisce about when you were young.
Yeah, being an adult is damn hard, but I certainly do not miss my teen years.
Me neither but I miss my teenage body. Would love to trade it for that shipwreck of a body I have nowadays. 😅
Load More Replies...
At age 46: unemployed and on Disability (sleep and PTSD, thanks to so-called healthcare and prior employers). Poverty. Alone most of the time. Hate where I live. Hate my house. Screwed up family. No friends local. Girlfriend is on the other end of the continent. This is not the life I was propagandized into believing was waiting for me as an adult. Hard work doesn’t accomplish shite without being born into a LOT of privilege. On top of all this adulthood disappointment is my ongoing realization (starting in my teens) that most adults are actually just idiot children in bigger bodies and professionalism is a goddamned joke. These are not the lies I was promised.
Seems to be a lot of people commenting on being adults in their 30's. Wait until you hit 50!
Wait until you hit your 40's. There should be classes or books available like those "Your changing body" ones for preteens.
In the UK there's a series of books for small children called 'That's not my dog/bear/cat' etc. There should be something for the middle-aged: 'That's not my face/hair/backside/husband'.
Load More Replies...
And how excited you are when the new spatula looks great AND is easy to clean.
I had this awesome spatula years ago. It had a turner on one side and a scraper on the other. It melted one day and I went to go find another one and THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM! Why is it so hard to find the things that you have that wear out with the exact same one. Stupid fast fashion.
Load More Replies...
When you hit 40 and you get more spam email and snail mail from AARP and burial planning insurance. Like they are saying hurry TF up and die.
My BIL was getting AARP mailers in his twenties. Who knows how it works?
Load More Replies...
I’m in math class right now and my friends and i literally broke down with laughter looking at this while we were supposed to be doing work.
Sure, laugh at our pain now. When you're older one good laugh and you've dislocated a rib
Load More Replies...
I’m not even an adult but I relate to almost all of these
Me as a kid: I can't wait to grow up. Me as a grown up to my kid's: wait till you all grow up and then you'll know why I'm the way I am.
I know it's easier said than done, but try to enjoy the present. If you spend your whole life trying to be older, you'll reach the end of your life never having enjoyed anything and there's no going back to the past.
Load More Replies...
I'm 41 turning 42 and not only did I not have chance to come to terms with turning 40 (was in the middle of pandemic and didn't even get post at that point) but I nearly crashed the car when I was referred to as 'middle aged' by a younger relative 😳😲😫😢 At 18 I thought middle aged was 50-60!!
Yeah I was referred to as middle aged at 35. Was like…WTF? That’s about middle age so I am tobogganing down the other side of that slope😭
Load More Replies... The way the bast**ds keep changing the rules: you eventually learn how to make xyz work, the tricks and traps when it is replaced by uvw. You eventually find a reliable place to park and they bulldoze the area. You do the calculations for solar hot water during an El Nino year, then after installation it becomes a La Nina so water is never hot. You learn how to prune your apple tree and it dies. Get the fences in top notch order and the apple tree falls down and smashes it all. Work out to how to watch the tennis and the channels all change. Get the kids all used to a Thursday night get-together and they all install WhatsApp. Get all the kids moved out at the same time, redecorate the place and they want me in a retirement village.
If you think being an adult is bad, then you're going to hate being old. The one thing I was never prepared for is how completely and totally fücking irrelevant I am.
Adulting is feeling extra tired and thinking its just life stree till your doctors says no you have this and this defiency and recommends 2 new supplements to add to your life.
Anybody else notice that Bored Panda and Buzzfeed have begun posting the EXACT same articles as each other. Sometimes BP articles appear before appearing on BF within a couple of days and vice versa. Don't get me wrong, I use both sites to idly kill time but it is a little annoying.
I know many people have a hate for the use of "adulting" but I think it's perfect.
at least when you're an adult you dont need permission to buy that video game with the 18+ rating
At 80 y.o. I look back at my younger self, and can truly say I enjoyed my life as an adult. It did help, not being married, so I had only myself to care about. Enjoyed travelling when it was still affordable, and now enjoying my retirement years. I can't believe that this old body still has a mind of 40, folk in my retirement village are so OLD and boring, can't have a good conversation, oh well, I'll watch YouTube, nothing worthwhile on TV.
When I was 15 - 25 years old, I LOVED getting phone calls! Friends! Family! Parties! Good news! Now all the calls are robo calls, scams, people asking for money, people I don’t even like. And it’s my phone! I used to have to wait to use the family phone. Now I have one on me 24/7 and it’s not even worth picking up the call. And I get to pay for this, too!
From about 12 yrs old to 20 yrs old, I LOVED getting phone calls. Friends! Family! Parties! Fun! Now the calls are selling me something, some scam being tried or people I don't want to talk to. And it's MY PHONE! I don't even have to wait to use it or pay extra . . . but I'm really starting to hate it.
What makes me sad is that so many people are having such a hard time... living. And why are they all so sore? It's heartbreaking.
Load More Replies... You are in good company, ZAPanda. Would you like a hot chocolate?
Load More Replies... You know you are old when you can look back to when you were 50 and reminisce about when you were young.
Yeah, being an adult is damn hard, but I certainly do not miss my teen years.
Me neither but I miss my teenage body. Would love to trade it for that shipwreck of a body I have nowadays. 😅
Load More Replies... At age 46: unemployed and on Disability (sleep and PTSD, thanks to so-called healthcare and prior employers). Poverty. Alone most of the time. Hate where I live. Hate my house. Screwed up family. No friends local. Girlfriend is on the other end of the continent. This is not the life I was propagandized into believing was waiting for me as an adult. Hard work doesn’t accomplish shite without being born into a LOT of privilege. On top of all this adulthood disappointment is my ongoing realization (starting in my teens) that most adults are actually just idiot children in bigger bodies and professionalism is a goddamned joke. These are not the lies I was promised.
Seems to be a lot of people commenting on being adults in their 30's. Wait until you hit 50!
Wait until you hit your 40's. There should be classes or books available like those "Your changing body" ones for preteens.
In the UK there's a series of books for small children called 'That's not my dog/bear/cat' etc. There should be something for the middle-aged: 'That's not my face/hair/backside/husband'.
Load More Replies... And how excited you are when the new spatula looks great AND is easy to clean.
I had this awesome spatula years ago. It had a turner on one side and a scraper on the other. It melted one day and I went to go find another one and THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM! Why is it so hard to find the things that you have that wear out with the exact same one. Stupid fast fashion.
Load More Replies... When you hit 40 and you get more spam email and snail mail from AARP and burial planning insurance. Like they are saying hurry TF up and die.
My BIL was getting AARP mailers in his twenties. Who knows how it works?
Load More Replies... I’m in math class right now and my friends and i literally broke down with laughter looking at this while we were supposed to be doing work.
Sure, laugh at our pain now. When you're older one good laugh and you've dislocated a rib
Load More Replies... I’m not even an adult but I relate to almost all of these
Me as a kid: I can't wait to grow up. Me as a grown up to my kid's: wait till you all grow up and then you'll know why I'm the way I am.
I know it's easier said than done, but try to enjoy the present. If you spend your whole life trying to be older, you'll reach the end of your life never having enjoyed anything and there's no going back to the past.
Load More Replies... I'm 41 turning 42 and not only did I not have chance to come to terms with turning 40 (was in the middle of pandemic and didn't even get post at that point) but I nearly crashed the car when I was referred to as 'middle aged' by a younger relative 😳😲😫😢 At 18 I thought middle aged was 50-60!!
Yeah I was referred to as middle aged at 35. Was like…WTF? That’s about middle age so I am tobogganing down the other side of that slope😭
Load More Replies... The way the bast**ds keep changing the rules: you eventually learn how to make xyz work, the tricks and traps when it is replaced by uvw. You eventually find a reliable place to park and they bulldoze the area. You do the calculations for solar hot water during an El Nino year, then after installation it becomes a La Nina so water is never hot. You learn how to prune your apple tree and it dies. Get the fences in top notch order and the apple tree falls down and smashes it all. Work out to how to watch the tennis and the channels all change. Get the kids all used to a Thursday night get-together and they all install WhatsApp. Get all the kids moved out at the same time, redecorate the place and they want me in a retirement village.
If you think being an adult is bad, then you're going to hate being old. The one thing I was never prepared for is how completely and totally fücking irrelevant I am.
Adulting is feeling extra tired and thinking its just life stree till your doctors says no you have this and this defiency and recommends 2 new supplements to add to your life.
Anybody else notice that Bored Panda and Buzzfeed have begun posting the EXACT same articles as each other. Sometimes BP articles appear before appearing on BF within a couple of days and vice versa. Don't get me wrong, I use both sites to idly kill time but it is a little annoying.
I know many people have a hate for the use of "adulting" but I think it's perfect.
at least when you're an adult you dont need permission to buy that video game with the 18+ rating
At 80 y.o. I look back at my younger self, and can truly say I enjoyed my life as an adult. It did help, not being married, so I had only myself to care about. Enjoyed travelling when it was still affordable, and now enjoying my retirement years. I can't believe that this old body still has a mind of 40, folk in my retirement village are so OLD and boring, can't have a good conversation, oh well, I'll watch YouTube, nothing worthwhile on TV.
When I was 15 - 25 years old, I LOVED getting phone calls! Friends! Family! Parties! Good news! Now all the calls are robo calls, scams, people asking for money, people I don’t even like. And it’s my phone! I used to have to wait to use the family phone. Now I have one on me 24/7 and it’s not even worth picking up the call. And I get to pay for this, too!
From about 12 yrs old to 20 yrs old, I LOVED getting phone calls. Friends! Family! Parties! Fun! Now the calls are selling me something, some scam being tried or people I don't want to talk to. And it's MY PHONE! I don't even have to wait to use it or pay extra . . . but I'm really starting to hate it.
