NAVIGATING MENTAL HEALTH IN THE AGE OF UNCERTAINTY

I got up from my bed, slowly adjusting to the light from my bulb, with one thought in mind. I kept contemplating what the next step would be for me. The joy of finally graduating had faded, and the uncertainty I had pushed away for months slowly crept back into my mind. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. There was no roadmap, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted a career in my field of study. I was absolutely clueless.

Uncertainty has gradually become a consistent factor in my daily life. In a world that is constantly evolving, it is almost impossible to go a week without encountering news that unsettles you, and this level of unpredictability has led to a gradual rise in anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, and depression. Ironically, this age of uncertainty is also the “soft life” generation—a generation trying to breathe, trying to thrive, and trying to find comfort in a world that barely offers it.

Yet one question lingers quietly in my mind: Are we truly living a soft life… or are we simply tired? Perhaps the answer lies in how we approach life–seeking balance, pausing when needed, and redefining success on our own terms.

This is a generation that believes in taking breaks and working smarter, not harder. While older generations may label it as laziness or entitlement, for many young people, soft life is survival. It’s healing. It’s a coping mechanism that helps us escape burnout, stress, and pretense. It is a desire to live without feeling like we’re drowning. But even as we seek comfort and balance, external pressures make it hard to feel at ease. Although social media adds a thick layer of pressure…

Although social media adds a thick layer of pressure. Comparison is at your doorstep; every scroll reveals another person celebrating something: a new car, a new house, a promotion, a relationship, a vacation, an achievement. The list is endless. Slowly, questions begin to whisper in the back of our minds:

“Am I doing enough?”

“Is there something wrong with me?”

“Do I even know what I’m doing?”

We forget that most people are confused too. Most people are giving their best in a world that is constantly shifting beneath them. So the real questions are: How do you build a soft life that is emotional, not just aesthetic? How do you stay mentally grounded in an age full of unpredictability?

1. Acceptance

Sometimes the pressure doesn’t come loudly. It comes quietly in the way someone asks, “So what’s next?” or “Have you found a job yet?” or “You know you’re not getting younger, right?” Nobody means harm, but their words sink somewhere deep. And before you know it, you’re carrying timelines that aren’t even yours, trying to impress people who won’t live your life for you, trying to fit into dreams that were never meant for you. It takes courage to say, “I’m figuring it out.” It takes even more courage to mean it. Accept that you don’t know exactly how things will turn out. Accept uncertainty, and move anyway. Take risks. Do it scared. Fail, try again, fail again until you win. One phrase I’ve come to love recently is: “Opportunity meets preparedness.” So don’t wait. Keep putting in the work, even when the future feels blurry.

2. Be Ambitious

Have dreams. Make plans. Work toward them. But stay grounded in reality. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Your journey doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. I think real soft life starts when you stop rushing yourself. When you realize growth doesn’t always happen loudly; sometimes it’s quiet, messy, and unglamorous. Sometimes it’s you taking one tiny step when you’d rather take ten. Sometimes it’s you resting because your mind is tired, not because you’re weak. And sometimes it’s simply trusting that even when nothing makes sense, you’re still moving forward… just in a way that doesn’t look like everyone else’s journey. Slow growth is still growth. And maybe that’s enough.

3. Build a Safe Circle

Keep family and friends who can tell you the truth, who offer honesty and stability. They should be a safe space, a place where you can be yourself without pretending. A safe circle doesn’t have to be large. It doesn’t need to look like a perfect group. Sometimes it’s just one or two people who understand you deeply; they are people who don’t panic when you’re confused and don’t disappear when life isn’t pretty. A safe circle is where you can say, “I’m tired,” and nobody asks you to explain or justify it. It’s where you can admit you don’t have everything figured out without feeling judged or compared. It’s where your feelings aren’t dismissed as overthinking, and your dreams aren’t mocked as unrealistic. Your safe circle is the one space where you’re allowed to just be human.

4. Find a Hobby

A hobby teaches you presence. It slows you down. Have something that brings you comfort and peace, something that declutters your mind and transports you into a different world. Your mind needs rest as much as your body does. It doesn’t have to be impressive or productive. It doesn’t have to make money or make sense to anyone else. It just has to feel like yours. Something that lets you exhale. In a world filled with pressure, having even one small thing that brings you comfort can feel like healing. It becomes a space where you reconnect with yourself, where you’re not chasing anything, where you’re not trying to prove anything. Sometimes, that little hobby becomes the thing that saves you on days you can’t save yourself.

5. Pause

You wake up every day and everything looks the same, yet nothing feels the same anymore. It’s like you're stuck between who you were and who you're supposed to become, and nobody warns you that this in-between stage can feel like quicksand. You keep waiting for clarity to tap you on the shoulder, but instead you get silence… and more questions. And honestly? It’s scary. It’s confusing. But it’s real. Maybe this pause isn’t punishment; maybe it’s preparation. Our mental health in this age requires us to pause—to set boundaries emotionally, digitally, socially; to be honest with ourselves; to acknowledge our feelings and learn to deal with them appropriately.

Soft life is not a weakness. It is a redefinition of strength, not as endurance, but as awareness. It is survival. It is healing. Perhaps, with time, our generation will learn how to breathe again.