When you’re young, a common theme of growing up is wishing for adulthood.
Adults have the freedom to do what they want and live how they want.
However, after becoming an adult, you quickly realize that being an adult has a lot less freedom than you originally thought.
Life, in general, is hard, but you may be unsure why it’s so hard in the first place.
From having an unsupportive family to having the wrong perspective on things, here are a few reasons life can be so hard.
Why Is Life So Hard? (Top 10 Reasons)
1. Unsupportive Family
Having a supportive family can make life a lot easier.
If you have a great set of parents, a lot of things about life can be simpler.
Supportive parents will make it easier to love who you want to love, for example.
If you have a certain sexual orientation that your parents don’t agree with, then they can make your life difficult.
They might not show up at your wedding or support your relationship in any way.
You might feel as though your family has abandoned you.
That can make life hard on that point alone.
Besides that, unsupportive parents might also expect you to move out after you graduate from high school.
With high rental costs and even higher down payments, it can be hard to find, let alone afford, a place of your own.
You might end up homeless.
Supportive parents, on the other hand, are happy to have you with them for as long as possible.
Even if you have to pay rent or meet some other financial obligations, they’re always there to ensure you’re housed and fed.
Life is hard when you don’t have a supportive family.
2. No Friends
Family isn’t the only thing that can make life a bit easier.
Having a good set of friends can also make life easier.
Friends are useful because they take your mind off the more unpleasant things in life.
When you’ve had a rough day at work, for example, your friends are there to help make light of it.
They can take you out to eat or just hang out and have a good time.
You can also go on adventures with them.
If you all like hiking, then you can take a trip together and make new memories.
Even something as simple as going out to the movies with friends can make your life feel a lot happier and more fulfilled.
It’s when you don’t have a good set of friends that life starts to feel harder.
For one, there’s no one there to help ease your troubles.
It all comes down to you to shrug off a bad day.
There’s no one there to offer a pleasant distraction or to help you make light of the situation.
It also means there’s no one there to share in your adventures.
While going hiking and seeing the movies on your own is perfectly acceptable, it doesn’t quite have the same impact as doing those things with friends.
When your friends are there, you’re able to discuss the experience.
On your own, you don’t have anyone to share that experience with.
As such, it can make you feel quite lonely.
You might even find yourself feeling jealous when you see other friend groups hanging out together.
Having a good set of friends or even one good friend can make life a lot more enjoyable.
Without friends, life is very hard.
3. No Hobbies
Not having hobbies is another reason life can be hard.
Hobbies may seem like a waste of time, but they’re actually great for your mental health.
Hobbies do far more than just provide a distraction from life.
They can help alleviate stress and even help ease symptoms of depression.
The great thing about hobbies is that there are so many different ones out there.
No matter what your particular skills are, there’s always a type of hobby that you can get involved in.
For example, if you consider yourself creative, you’ll probably find hobbies like writing, reading, and even art enjoyable.
If you also enjoy music, you might want to try learning how to play an instrument.
Those who are interested in athletics might find playing in sports more satisfying.
Team sports, in particular, can help you get in contact with others.
It feeds both your need to do something athletic while also having your social needs met.
Outside of team sports, you can always play certain sports alone.
You can also work out at a gym or focus on a particular type of fitness.
Not having a hobby can make life difficult because you don’t have anything to break up the monotony of life.
Your life just becomes work, sleeping, and then more work.
A hobby brings some joy to your life amidst the usual routine.
You may even discover that you can monetize your hobby and bring in extra money while doing it.
Hobbies can help alleviate symptoms of depression because it focuses your mind on a task.
It’s also something that you can look forward to.
It also helps alleviate stress because it forces your mind to focus on something else besides the reason for your stress.
If you don’t have a hobby, then your life is likely going to be quite hard.
4. Unsatisfying Career
Life can also be hard when you find yourself in an unsatisfying career.
A lot of people tend to choose the first job that they can find.
They feel the pressure of debt and the monetary demands of life building up.
With those debts and demands getting closer or rising, they end up having to choose whatever job becomes available to them.
The problem is that they also become comfortable at the job even if it isn’t ideal.
In some cases, the job might be just enough to satisfy their cost of living needs.
Since the risk of not having any money is often scarier than a boring job or an unsatisfying one, people tend to stay in the job that serves them.
In other cases, the job might not cover the bills.
Some people may need to find a second job to make ends meet.
In both cases, they’re stuck working at jobs that don’t necessarily satisfy them.
They’re just a way to earn money.
As such, because the job doesn’t satisfy them, they’re not happy with their career.
A person’s career takes up a large portion of their life.
Most of their waking hours are spent at their job.
If they don’t like what they’re doing there, it’s going to impact the rest of their life, too.
Some people are able to stick with it and focus on the other parts of their life that are good.
However, if you don’t have anything else in your life that is good, then your entire life can seem quite hard.
Finding a job that you do care about can change that.
It isn’t easy, and it isn’t always successful, but if you can make it work, then following your dreams and working in your dream career could improve your life.
At the very least, you’ll enjoy going to work more.
5. No Romantic Partner
Some people might also find life hard because they don’t have a romantic partner.
Not everyone feels this way, of course.
Some people are perfectly happy on their own.
Others, however, find that having someone they love with them can make life a lot easier.
A romantic partner makes life easier for several reasons.
For one, someone is there who can ease your burdens.
When you have a rough day, a good partner is there to help you talk about it.
They’re able to lend a sympathetic ear.
They can also help you feel good about yourself.
They can remind you of how attractive they find you or even just how much they care about you.
Emotionally, they can help you stay strong and face problems.
Romantic partners are also there to share milestones in your life.
Whether it’s marrying them, buying your first home with them, going on a special vacation, or even just turning a certain age, having a romantic partner to be a part of those events makes them all that much more special.
You’re reaching those milestones together.
It also means you’re able to make memories together.
Even something as mundane as going to the movies together can be a special event.
Without a romantic partner, you can feel quite lonely.
You don’t have that sort of emotional support waiting for you at home.
Instead, you have to keep yourself going on your own.
When you reach those certain milestones on your own, they’re still special, but you may feel lonely in experiencing them on your own.
6. Expensive Cost Of Living
There’s no question that the cost of living also makes life hard.
Some people have an even higher cost of living expenses than others.
It all comes down to where you live, your wages, and your budget.
Some places, for example, are more expensive than others.
Cities tend to be more expensive than rural towns.
Suburbs can even be pretty expensive.
Your job might also not pay you enough to keep up with the rising costs of living.
As bills become more expensive and your wages stay the same, it can be difficult to do much of anything with your money.
You might also be poor at making and sticking to a budget.
If you overspend on frivolous things, you might find yourself without enough money to pay your bills.
Having to pay for food, housing, and electricity—among many other things—can make life hard.
You may feel that some of those things should be free.
You shouldn’t have to pay for food, for example, to stay alive in today’s world.
If you find yourself unable to pay for your cost of living, then it can make life very hard.
You may find yourself without a home.
You may be unable to afford electricity.
You might not even be able to feed yourself.
Life is hard when your cost of living expenses are higher than your wages.
7. Expectations On Social Media
There’s no question that social media can also make life hard.
You’re constantly bombarded with pictures and videos of people who seem to have it all together.
They have a lovely house, a great partner, and a great job.
The reality is the people you see on social media are often struggling just like you.
They may not be as well off as they appear.
Others might not have a very supportive partner.
Whatever the reality is, you’re often more similar to them than you might think.
However, the fact that there is so much social media out there presenting a certain idea of what life should be like can make you feel like you’re missing out.
You may think you’re imperfect because you’re not the same as the people you see on social media.
That usually isn’t the case.
However, the thought of it alone can make life feel hard.
8. Not Impacting Your Community
Some people may also find that life is hard because they’re not impacting their community in any way.
Feelings of success can come in different ways.
A lot of people find that being able to help their local community makes them feel better about life.
They’re able to look at their neighbors and know that they helped make their lives a bit easier.
They might participate in community service to help feed the homeless.
They might donate old clothes or other items to families without means.
Whatever it is, giving back to your community can help you feel as though you have a bit more of a purpose in life.
If you’re not impacting your community in any way, it can make you feel as though life is pointless.
When you feel life is pointless, life becomes very hard.
9. Medical Problems
If you suffer from a certain medical illness or condition, it can make life far harder.
Not being able to see or hear, for example, makes life more complex.
Even suffering from a mental illness like anxiety or depression can make life hard.
Living life as a healthy individual is already tough.
Trying to live life when suffering from some physical or mental condition can make life extremely hard.
A lot of aspects of life don’t always compensate for those who suffer from some sort of medical condition.
As such, you have to work even harder just to survive.
10. Negative Perspective On Things
A final reason life is hard is that you have the wrong perspective on life.
There’s no question that certain aspects of life are difficult.
Facing a lot of rejection, hardships, and losses can make you feel bitter and pessimistic.
However, having a pessimistic view of things can make life even harder.
It can color your emotions.
By trying to maintain an optimistic perspective, you may find that life isn’t quite as hard.
You start looking for positive solutions to problems instead of succumbing to a pessimistic reaction of hopelessness or apathy.
Life is hard when you have the wrong perspective on things.
Conclusion
Life isn’t an easy ride for most people.
Certain factors like high cost of living expenses, a lack of friends, and any of the other reasons above can make living life extremely hard.
