GRADE 12: Health

Adulting Responsibilities: Life Skills to Live a Fulfilling Life

What is adulting?

Having the characteristics to behave in a way that is characteristic of an adult is defined as adulting. If you’re adulting,
this often involves necessary tasks to survive, such as:

 cooking
 paying bills
 managing finances
 keeping up with laundry
 resolving conflict
These skills are necessary for independence from caregivers and can often feel overwhelming for young adults
transitioning into living independently.

Why is it so important?

Adulting is essential because doing those mundane, necessary tasks gives you the skills to live independently. For
example, learning financial skills can help you in do things such as:

 feed yourself
 pay for housing
 pay your utilities
 save for retirement
Those are just some examples of how learning one life skill can benefit you and is necessary for survival.
5 life skills for adulting
There are various categories of skills needed to survive as an adult. But you don’t have to learn all these skills
simultaneously.
Consider working on one category at a time. You can decide which category you want to prioritize first.
Domestic skills
Domestic skills include skills related to household management, such as:
 cooking
 cleaning
 car maintenance
 basic household repairs
 grocery shopping
These tasks can be overwhelming for many people. Especially if you live with mental health conditions, such as attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that can impact executive functioning.
If these tasks feel overwhelming to you, consider:
 delegating tasks when possible
 watching a youtube video to learn about basic household repairs
 following influencers who teach the skill you need help with
 seeking out the help of a mental health professional
Sometimes you may have to seek help from other professionals to reduce the overwhelming feelings surrounding these
tasks.
For example, if your household chores seem unmanageable, you may consider using a cleaning service or professional
organizer.
Financial skills
Financial skills are related to money management, such as:
 managing a bank account
 budgeting
  establishing credit
 saving for retirement
 investing
 paying taxes
 saving money
If you find yourself having challenges with financial skills, here are some things you can do:
 assess your spending
 create a budget
 use automated bill pay
 take a financial literacy course
 hire a financial advisor
Financial literacy can affect how you manage debt and save and invest your money. A 2019 study suggests that financial
literacy directly affects financial behavior.
Findings indicate that low levels of financial literacy relate to:
 unhelpful spending habits
 ineffective financial planning
 expensive borrowing, such as payday loans
 complications with debt management
Job skills
Job skills include skills related to seeking, finding, and maintaining employment. Job skills may consist of:
 developing a resume
 writing a cover letter
 using a job search engine
 preparing for an interview
 identifying your strengths
 negotiating salary
 finding the right benefits package
Each job or career path may require a specific skillset based on the position you’re considering. If you need help
developing and improving your job skills, you may consider:
 having a friend or family member look over your resume
 participating in a mock interview
 taking your cover letter and resume to a professional
 educating yourself on how to negotiate your salary effectively
 taking a career inventory or assessment to determine what jobs may be a good fit
 attending a job skills training
Relationship skills
Relationship skills are skills related to forming and maintaining close personal relationships.
Relationship skills may include:
 practicing active listening
 communicating clearly and effectively with others
 resolving conflict in a healthy way
 using social media in a responsible way
 learning how to develop connections with others
Relationships aren’t easy; they can require a lot of attention and work. If you’d like to improve your relationship skills,
you can:
 join a social group or club
 attend relationship counseling
 take a communication skills class
 read books or articles about improving communication
 use “I” statements
 use a mediator to resolve help resolve conflict
Self-care skills
Self-care skills involve taking care of your mental health and can include:
  obtaining proper treatment for mental health conditions
 practicing basic hygiene
 resting and taking a break from work or school
 taking care of your body
 getting adequate sleep
It can be hard to take care of yourself if you have never learned how to do it.
If you have challenges with self-care, you may consider:
 finding a therapist
 creating a routine
 exercising regularly
 eating nutritious food
 taking medications as prescribed
Taking care of yourself can help prevent burnout and reduce stress. And learning how to rest and relax may help to
improve your overall mental health.

Activity:

 Describe yourself as an adult through an illustration.

 What symbol would best describe you as an adult? Why?