DAE feel like they are already too far behind in life to ever catch up?
Does anyone else feel this way? I'm (24F) I know I'm young and have plenty of time. But lately, I’ve been constantly hit with this crushing fear that I’m already too far behind all my peers to ever actually catch up.
I finished college, but I’m working an entry level job that barely covers my rent. I scroll through social media and see everyone else: They’re getting engaged, they’re buying houses or moving into expensive, beautifully decorated apartments, they’re getting promoted to management positions, and they’re posting pictures of elaborate international vacations I simply can't afford right now.
When I look at my own life, I genuinely feel like I am stuck right where I was three years ago. I still have student loans, my savings account is pathetic, and I just bought a $5 candle at Target, which felt like a massive splurge that I immediately regretted.
I know social media isn't real, but the anxiety is real. I’m too afraid to talk to my close friends about this because I feel like I'm supposed to be supportive and happy for them, not constantly comparing myself and feeling terrible. I also don't want to sound like I'm ungrateful for the good things I do have.
Is this intense feeling of "being behind schedule" just a normal, universal part of your early twenties? Or is this a legitimate sign that I need to be panicking and making some kind of immediate, drastic life change? I need honest, unbiased perspective on whether this feeling ever actually goes away.
Posted Nov 28, 2025, 5:38 PM UTC