Everyone was right about turning 25
I can’t help but feel a little freaked out by how true it is
I’ve been online for as long as I can remember. In some ways, I was lucky to have parents who weren’t really the “checking-your-search-history” type, who let me roam the digital world freely, oblivious to the smutty tumblr fictions I was reading or the hours spent in group chats. But, looking back now, I see how it left a mark. I’ve sort of become addicted to it this constant flicker of notifications, this strange pull towards the virtual that I can't quite explain.
Since I was 12, I’ve read the same thing over and over: "At 25, everything just falls into place." And I never believed it. It felt like a cliché, something adults say when they want to make you feel better about the inevitable chaos of life. But now, at 25, I can’t help but feel a little freaked out by how true it is. Like, it’s almost uncomfortable how much everyone was right. There’s this clarity I never had before, and with it comes a certain weight.
For the first time, I feel like I know who I am, what I want, what my purpose is. But here’s the kicker: it’s not at all what I thought it would be. All those years of chasing the idea of success, of building a career, of doing everything "right" and now I’ve realised it’s all been in pursuit of something that feels… hollow. Yes, I’m ticking boxes professionally, but in the bigger picture, I’ve neglected all the other parts of my life that truly matter. Relationships, self-awareness, emotional well-being things that I thought could wait, or that would just “fall into place.” But now I’m 25, and they haven’t. And it’s both terrifying and oddly freeing to admit that.
I can still picture myself as that little four-year-old, bursting with confidence in a way I now envy. I was the kid at the park who’d march right up to strangers and ask if they wanted to be my friend. No shame, no hesitation just pure, unfiltered joy. We'd play until my dad finished reading the paper, and we had to head home for mum's Sunday dinner. Life was simple, easy, and I didn’t even think to care about what anyone else thought of me.
Cut to 25, and here I am, unable to make eye contact with someone without feeling this deep, gnawing fear that they think I’m weird. It’s strange, really. How did I go from that confident, carefree kid to this? Somewhere along the way, I lost my ability to just be. I miss that version of myself—full of creativity, making up dances in the living room or spending hours drawing for no reason other than the joy of it. I miss not caring what anyone thought.
And so, here I am. Hello, Substack. I’ve never really ventured into this corner of the internet before, but I think that’s the point, isn’t it? I’m searching for something call it a new outlet, a fresh start, whatever. I’m holding myself accountable in the hopes of turning things around. This newfound clarity I have at 25? I want to use it. I want to rediscover what it means to live, to be free, to feel things without second-guessing. I want to make new friends. I want to fall in love, experience life with fresh eyes. I want to see the world in a way I never have before. I refuse to make work my only focus anymore.
So, hello welcome to my new series, I’m not sure where this will take me, but I hope it’s at least a little bit entertaining.
About Twenty Five Reset
Hi, I’m Niamh, and everyone was right—25 really is a turning point. I finally know who I am, what I want, and my purpose… but it’s nothing like I expected.
I work in TV, but it doesn’t define me. This space is my reset—embracing the mess, reflecting, and creating again. You can expect:
Pop Culture and a lot of chats about 2000 - 2020 TV Shows
Links:
I love love love this. I turned 25 last month and have been feeling the same way. I thought it was my prefrontal cortex developing but maybe it’s just us discovering who we are?? It’s scary yet so exciting..
As a millennial (I'm 32) who remembers what it was like before the internet, and coming of age when the internet was not an extension of ourselves, simply something fun we can access from a big box in a specific room, I really feel for your gen who didn't have the luxury of remembering "the before times." but I think it's a really brave thing to come to terms with this issue and i'm happy more young people are facing it head-on and reconnecting with who they really are. I recently read about a study (link below) where people blocked *mobile* internet for 2 weeks, and it resulted in healthier well-being, improved mental health, and increased attention spans. the tidbit that really jumped out at me (as someone who has been on five different antidepressant medications in my life): "The average degree of improvement in symptoms of depression was larger than that reported in multiple studies of antidepressant medications." Imagine how humanity could reconnect and what we could accomplish as a society if everyone did this!
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250219/Blocking-mobile-internet-for-two-weeks-improves-mental-health-and-well-being.aspx