Adulting is weird, awkward, and tough—it’s a phase where you’re old enough to make your decisions but still lowkey want someone else to make them for you. It’s realising no one’s coming to save you—you are a responsible adult now, and that’s a terrifying plot twist!
One day you’re celebrating that your salary hit your account, and the next you’re crying because 80% of it went to rent, bills, and that one overpriced coffee you didn’t need but absolutely deserved. It’s weird how laundry, budgeting, career anxiety, skincare routines, and emotional breakdowns all decide to show up at the same time. And the worst part is everyone else looks like they have it figured out, while you're just out here surviving on memes, reels, and caffeine.
But, here’s the thing—no one really knows what they’re doing. We’re all winging it, just at different levels of panic. So yeah, adulting is hard. It’s messy, chaotic, unfairly expensive, and occasionally hilarious, but it’s also empowering. Because even if you're stumbling through it, you're still showing up, still learning, still growing, and honestly that’s a win.
We’ve curated a bunch of quotes that are relatable and will surely remind you that no one really has it together.
100+ Adulting Quotes To Help You Navigate Through Life Without Losing Your MindNobody warns us about adulthood where we have to pretend 24/7 about having it all together. It’s chaotic, sure, but it’s also where you slowly start building your own life—even if you have to Google half of it on the way.
Relatable adulting quotes for when you’re just done with life
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1. “Adulthood is learning to carry the weight of everything while still showing up.”
You showed up and that’s already a win!
2. “Some days, surviving is more than enough—and that counts.”
You’re putting in effort and that’s more than enough.
3. “No one really teaches you how to keep going when everything feels heavy.”
And at that point not giving up is the one thing that saves the day for you.
4. “The hardest part of adulting is pretending you’re okay when you’re falling apart.”
No one has it all together, we’re all faking it!
5. “You can feel lost and still be on your way.”
Feeling directionless is part of the process. Just have patience.
6. “Growing up means realising healing isn’t linear—and neither is life.”
Lifeis tough to deal with and adulting makes you realise it pretty early on!
7. “Being an adult means doing things scared, tired, or unsure—and doing them anyway.”
Because, there’s no choice, right?
8. “It’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out. Most of us don’t.”
As they say, “Fake it till you make it.”
9. “Adulthood is learning to be your own anchor when the waves hit hardest.”
At the end of the day, nobody is really coming to save you.
10. “Sometimes, strength looks like getting out of bed when you really don’t want to.”
Appreciate yourself for that!
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11. “There’s no manual for this life. We’re all just trying our best with what we know.”
Even if things don’t seem to be working now, they will eventually.
12. “You’re allowed to feel exhausted. Just don’t forget how far you’ve come.”
You’ve not come this far to quit.
13. “Taking care of yourself is part of the work—even when it feels selfish.”
Self-love should be a priority.
14. “Adulthood is realising that peace is worth more than perfection.”
It indeed is!
15. “Rest is not weakness. It’s survival.”
Working tirelessly will exhaust you. Take a rest.
16. “It’s brave to keep going when everything feels like too much.”
You are doing just that! Kudos to you.
17. “You don’t have to hustle to prove your worth. You already are enough.”
Honestly, hustling is overrated!
18. “The pressure to have it all together is the heaviest lie we carry.”
We don’t have it all figured out and that’s completely fine.
19. “Even in the mess, you are building a life. And that matters.”
You’ve fought all your past experiences, traumas and failures to reach here. Give yourself credit for that!
20. “Not every season is about thriving. Some are just about making it through.”
And remember, that’s enough too!
Funny adulting quotes that perfectly describe the struggle
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21. “Being an adult is basically just rotating between cleaning, working, overthinking, and wondering what you’re doing with your life.”
The house chores just won’t end!
22. “Remember when we thought adults had it all figured out? Yeah… turns out they were just tired and good at pretending.”
I always wanted to be an adult and look at me now!
23. “I used to daydream about my future. Now I daydream about quitting everything and becoming a forest witch.”
Oh, what a perfect job!
24. “Adulthood is mostly just staring into the fridge hoping it’ll magically cook for you.”
It’s so damn true!
25. “I swear 90% of adult life is asking yourself ‘Did I already tell this story?’ and ‘Why does my back hurt?’”
It’s the constant tug of war between ‘Am I sador just bored?’!
26. “Me: I should save money. Also me: buys five candles, three lattes, and emotional support snacks”
Salary vanished in 3, 2, and 1!
27. “The only thing I’ve mastered as an adult is saying ‘Let’s catch up soon!’ and then vanishing into the void.”
Ready with excuses always.
28. “My brain at work: stressed. My brain at night: Let’s overthink that embarrassing thing from 2014.”
My brain has some feud with me!
29. “Laundry isn’t a chore anymore. It’s a full-time job with no benefits and aggressive overtime.”
There’s washing, then drying, then folding. By the time this is done, there’s a pile of clothes waiting for me to repeat the process!
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30. “No one talks about the betrayal of realising your metabolism doesn’t love you anymore.”
The weight anxiety kicks in!
31. “The real plot twist of adulthood is that it’s just emails, bills, and reheating leftovers until the end of time.”
On repeat!
32. “I don’t even rise and shine anymore. I drag and whimper.”
Never have I seen a more relatable quote!
33. “Adulting is just having a panic attack about things you used to ignore as a teenager.”
Adulting is basically saying “I can’t do this anymore” about 50 times a day!”
34. “If I had a dollar for every time I said ‘I’m fine’ while crying in the bathroom, I could finally afford therapy.”
Pretending to be fine when you’re not is one of the biggest adulting heartbreaks!
35. “My idea of a wild Friday night is finishing my to-do list and going to bed without anxiety.”
It’s boring yet the most relaxing!
36. “Adult friendships are basically texting ‘Let’s meet!’ until one of us dies.”
The ‘soon’ never comes!
37. “Why does every adult task require an account, a password, and your blood type?”
This is so irritating!
38. “Cooking as an adult is 10% chopping, 20% burning something, and 70% washing dishes you regret using.”
And eating in like 8 minutes!
39. “Sometimes I look at my bank account and think, ‘Was the serotonin from that online order even worth it?’”
It wasn’t but we really can’t do anything about it!
40. “Adulting isn’t a journey. It’s a never-ending loop of tiredness, brokenness, and confusion.”
And mood swings too!
Motivational quotes to keep you going when adulting feels impossible
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41. “You don’t have to have it all figured out to keep moving forward.”
Even if you’re stumbling, at least you’re still in motion.
42. “Even the smallest step is still progress. Keep going.”
Making your bed counts, and so does brushing your teeth. So, you’re doing great buddy!
43. “Adulthood isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about learning as you go.”
We’re all just googling things and hoping for the best.
44. “Give yourself credit. You’re doing the best you can with what you’ve got.”
If you showed up today, that’s already enough.
45. “You’ve survived every hard day so far. You can survive this one, too.”
Look at you, still standing, still breathing.
46. “Some seasons are just about survival—and that’s okay.”
Thriving can wait. Right now, you’re allowed to just be.
47. “Messy progress is still progress. Don’t wait for perfection.”
Life isn’t an aesthetic. It’s a whole mess and you’re already slaying it!
48. “You’re not behind. You’re on your own timeline.”
Seriously, no one’s tracking your milestones except you.
49. “Keep showing up for yourself. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.”
Got out of bed today? That’s a win.
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50. “It’s okay to rest. You’re not a machine—you’re human.”
Burnout doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It means you need a break.
51. “You’re growing through what you’re going through.”
Don’t worry about all the mess in your life. It’s shaping you, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.
52. “You’re allowed to outgrow people, plans, and versions of yourself that no longer serve you.”
You’re not flaky, you’re evolving.
53. “Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel.”
Everyone’s struggling, even if their feed says otherwise.
54. “It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it anyway.”
Half-done is better than never-started.
55. “No one really knows what they’re doing. We’re all figuring it out in real-time.”
Adulting is just advanced improvisation with coffee.
56. “There’s strength in simply choosing not to give up.”
Even if you’re crawling, that still counts.
57. “You’ve come too far to doubt your own resilience now.”
You’ve handled worse with less. You’ve got this.
58. “Breathe. Reset. Try again.”
Deep breaths and snack breaks are part of the adulting plan.
59. “Your future self will thank you for not quitting today.”
They’re already proud of you, keep going.
60. “You’re not failing—you’re learning how to handle life one chaotic moment at a time.”
Progress looks a lot like chaos, and that’s normal.
Quotes about growing up that hit way too hard
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61. “Growing up is realising your parentswere just winging it too.”
Turns out no one really had the answers; they were just better at hiding the panic.
62. “You spend your childhood wanting to grow up, then spend adulthood wishing you could pause everything.”
Why didn’t anyone warn us that the naps and cartoons were the golden years?
63. “One day you’re young and carefree, the next you’re comparing insurance plans and crying over laundry.”
Adulthood really said, surprise, responsibility!
64. “Growing up isn’t just about ageing—it’s about letting go of who you thought you'd be.”
And sometimes, that grief hits harder than expected.
65. “You don’t feel the moment you grow up, but you feel the weight of it every day after.”
It’s in the emails, the bills, and the ‘what now?’ moments, right?
66. “No one warns you that growing up also means growing apart.”
Friendships fade, and suddenly group chats are empty.
67. “Becoming an adult is realising how expensive peace really is.”
Mental health, groceries, rent—it all costs, and not just money.
68. “Growing up is finding comfort in the silence you used to run from.”
Now, quiet means safety. Not loneliness.
69. “Your childhood fades in photos, but it stays loud in memories.”
Especially when a song, scent, or snack randomly hits you in the gut. Oh, that hurts!
70. “You stop looking forward to birthdays when they just feel like deadlines.”
Another year older, still figuring it out. Oh, what a ‘happy’ birthday!
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71. “Growing up is missing home, even when you’re already there.”
Because sometimes, it’s not a place, it’s a time that’s gone.
72. “The weirdest part of growing up is realising you have to repair yourself.”
Turns out healing means being the adult you needed as a kid.
73. “You don’t notice your last ‘first’—until it’s long gone.”
The last time you played outside without checking your phone? Yeah, that one.
74. “Childhood is short. Adulthood is long and mostly emails.”
The magic fades. The inbox never does.
75. “You grow up the moment you stop expecting life to be fair.”
And yeah, that one hurts deep.
76. “Growing up is learning to carry sadness without letting it sink you.”
You learn to swim with full pockets of sadness.
77. “You don’t grow up once. You do it over and over again—every time life breaks and reshapes you.”
And every time, you come back a little stronger and a little softer.
78. “Growing up is realising that ‘I’m fine’ can mean a hundred different things.”
Sometimes, it means surviving. Sometimes, it means barely holding on.
79. “The scariest part of growing up is seeing your reflection change but still feeling like a kid inside.”
The face matures, but the confusion stays.
80. “You stop asking ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ because suddenly—you are grown up.”
And the question becomes, “Am I doing this right?”
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81. “You grow up when you start giving grace to your past self.”
Because honestly, they were doing their best with what they knew.
82. “The older you get, the more you realize that healing is lonely work.”
It’s quiet. It’s slow, and it’s yours alone.
83. “Growing up means knowing that not everything deserves your energy.”
Protecting your peaceis now a daily decision.
Sassy and sarcastic adulting quotes that are a whole mood
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84. “Adulthood is just one long game of ‘how tired can you be and still function?’”
It’s working five days a week for a 2-day weekend!
85. “I love being an adult. Said no one ever.”
Adulting at first looks like a demon but you get used to it.
86. “I didn’t choose the adulting life. The adulting life tripped me into a spreadsheet.”
Perfect! Couldn’t have explained it in a better way.
87. “My toxic trait is thinking I can get my life together in one weekend.”
It’s the mood swings syndrome!
88. “Being an adult is realising that ‘free time’ is just recovery time in disguise.”
And free time ends in the blink of an eye!
89. “Adulthood is basically saying ‘next week will be less chaotic’ forever.”
Hoping for the best, always!
90. “Nothing humbles you like assembling IKEA furniture without emotional stability.”
Note: You’ll cry like 150 times during the process!
91. “I used to dream of being older. Now I dream of a nap and no notifications.”
Oh, that’s a dream!
92. “Adulthood is just cleaning the kitchen and pretending it’ll stay clean.”
You toast one bread and it’s all messy again!
93. “Being grown-up means replacing dreams with caffeine and mild anxiety.”
Plus, panic attacks.
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94. “The only thing I make for dinner consistently is excuses.”
We appreciate honesty.
95. “Bills really said ‘catch me outside’ every month without fail.”
Bills just never end. Somehow, one bill is due always.
96. “Nothing says ‘I’m adulting’ like cereal at 9 p.m. and calling it self-care.”
It’s simple, quick and tasty. (kinda)
97. “Being responsible is just choosing which fire to ignore today.”
‘I can deal with this tomorrow’ is a constant mood.
98. “I used to roll my eyes at people who said ‘adulthood is hard.’ Now I just roll into bed.”
Life really shows you the mirror!
99. “Adulthood is fun if you enjoy being tired and broke with a full calendar.”
It’s ‘fun’ they said but it CLEARLY isn’t!
100. “Remember when growing up sounded exciting? Lies. All lies.”
Why did we ever want to grow up?
101. “If multitasking were a sport, adults would win gold in overthinking and burnout.”
Kudos to everyone who’s barely surviving and is still showing up!
102. “My hobbies now include recharging in silence and cancelling plans.”
NGL, it’s peaceful.
Social and lead image credits: Freepik
