Stepping into your twenties in Sri Lanka today feels like being handed a puzzle with missing pieces. On paper, adulthood is simple: study, graduate, get a job, live independently, maybe start a family someday. In reality, it’s a maze of uncertainty, constant pressure, and hidden expenses that no one tells you about.
We were taught to dream, to work hard, to aim high. But no one prepared us for the sudden reality of bills that never end, rent that swallows half your paycheck, or the shock of living in a country where prices climb faster than your salary. For many, surviving means juggling multiple jobs, side hustles, and online gigs just to make ends meet.
The Invisible Weight of Bills and Costs
Even simple things feel complicated now. A day out with friends comes with a calculation: transport, food, tickets, fuel. The cost of groceries, electricity, and water adds up silently, but relentlessly. Health emergencies? An unexpected medical bill can wipe out a month of careful budgeting.
Many young adults find themselves living with family longer than they imagined, not out of choice but necessity. Independence is a dream deferred because rent and living costs are more than a fresh graduate can handle. And yet, social expectations still press down: you’re “grown up,” you should manage, you should be thriving.
Every day feels like a balancing act. Even small purchases require thought: do you buy food or save for transport? Do you skip a movie with friends or risk being late on a bill? These decisions may seem minor to outsiders, but for young adults trying to survive, they are constant stressors that chip away at peace of mind.
Career, Pressure, and Instability
Landing a first job isn’t what it used to be. Entry-level salaries are low, competition is high, and work is often unstable. Some fields demand overwork and long hours with little reward. Freelancing and online gigs promise flexibility, but they come with unpredictability slow months, missed payments, constant anxiety.
Even when you have a stable job, promotions and raises rarely match the pace of inflation. The “success” ladder feels slippery; climbing it often means sacrificing sleep, health, and personal time. And all the while, social media showcases peers seemingly living effortlessly, creating a sense of constant comparison and inadequacy.
The reality is that adult life is not just work and bills. It’s navigating bureaucracy, paying taxes, figuring out insurance, and learning what “responsibility” truly means. You suddenly realize that no one prepared you for paperwork, deadlines, or the frustration of calling multiple offices to get something done. Every new task feels like a test, and every small failure carries a lingering weight.
Daily Life Struggles
Even daily necessities feel like constant calculations. Filling a petrol tank, buying groceries, paying utility bills, or even catching a bus suddenly comes with stress attached. Many young adults have learned to ration, plan months ahead, and prioritize essentials over personal enjoyment. Eating out, spontaneous trips, or even small luxuries feel like unaffordable indulgences. For some, this constant juggling leads to skipping meals, cutting corners, or saying “no” to social gatherings just to save money. Living this way builds endurance but also anxiety every decision carries weight, and every expense becomes a source of tension that never really leaves.
Transportation, food, healthcare, and even small hobbies feel like burdens. Wanting to maintain friendships or pursue a hobby requires careful budgeting. Even a simple evening out becomes a negotiation between fun and necessity. This is the invisible tax of adulthood — it doesn’t show up on any statement, but it shapes every decision.
Mental Health Takes a Hit
It’s not just financial pressure it’s emotional too. The stress of living in uncertainty, coupled with societal expectations, slowly wears you down. Feeling anxious about rent, tuition, loans, or just “keeping up” with peers is normal. But normal doesn’t make it easier.
Many young adults suffer in silence because seeking help is still stigmatized. We were taught to be strong, resilient, and independent, but strength is sometimes just hiding exhaustion
behind a smile. Burnout, anxiety, and fatigue are now common companions, yet rarely spoken about openly.
Sleep deprivation, constant worry, and overthinking combine to create a mental burden that is invisible to most. Even small victories can feel hollow when every day brings new challenges. It is a cycle of endurance, often without recognition or support.
Hope and Human Strength
Being a young adult in Sri Lanka today is not easy.
The costs are high financial, emotional, and mental. Yet, in this struggle lies growth, resilience, and a deeper understanding of self. We are learning, often painfully, that survival is a skill, that independence is hard-won, and that sometimes, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Even amid exhaustion and uncertainty, we find solidarity with peers, community, and family. We celebrate small wins, and we remember that no one is truly alone in navigating this journey. Adulthood is messy, unpredictable, and demanding. But it is also ours to navigate with courage, patience, and the quiet hope that we can survive and thrive, one step at a time.
