#045: Stability and Meaning in Quarterlife with Psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock

I’m so excited to welcome psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock to
the podcast this month! Satya is the author of Quarterlife, a
book I read in early 2023 and haven’t been able to stop thinking
about (or recommending!).


Satya defines quarterlife as the period between adolescence and
midlife — roughly ages 16 to 40. Most of you reading this either
are in quarterlife — or have children who are in it or about to
enter it.


Quarterlife is the period of life where the most life happens
(education! relationships! children! loss!), this age group is
often unsupported and enduring high levels of stress that leaves
many quarterlifers feeling unmoored, lost, and frustrated.


Tune in to the episode to learn more about navigating
quarterlife. We’ll discuss:


* What Quarterlife is and the age group it impacts


* The definitions of “Stability Seeking” and “Meaning Seeking”


* How the experience of Quarterlifers has changed throughout
history and how it varies country to country


* The role that Stability/Meaning play in Midlife Crises and why
people are having midlife crises earlier


* How parents can encourage a balance between Stability and
Meaning in their children


Connect with Satya:


Order her book, Quarterlife on Bookshop.org or
AmazonSubscribe to her Substack: Self
& SocietyFind her on
InstagramVisit her website


Additional Resources:


If you find yourself struggling to identify whether you are a
Stability Type or Meaning Type, you can try this exercise:


Journal for 5 minutes about the type of people you most often
find yourself passing judgement on or being critical of.


Oftentimes, we are most critical of people who are different from
us — so if you find yourself frustrated with people who adhere to
societal expectations and pursue traditional goals — you might be
a Meaning Type.


If you’re critical of those who are more free-spirited and don’t
seem highly concerned with what society expects of them — you
might be a Stability Type.


Satya’s Recommendations:


READ: Satya still finds herself thinking about
the book Shakespeare was a Woman by Elizabeth
Winkler.


WATCH: The tagline “this has all happened
before” drew Satya back to the series Battlestar
Galactica.


LISTEN: As a relaxing and entertaining escape
from real life, Satya enjoys food podcasts and recommends the
show Food Friends Podcast.


ENJOY: This recommendation made me sit up in my
seat! I can’t wait to try it. As summer arrives, Satya recommends
sipping on a combination of Lemonade and Iced Coffee. Sounds
weird….but she says we’ll have to trust her on this one. I
thought this version from Tasting Table
featuring a sprig of rosemary looked fun!


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