What Is the No. 1 Thing Millennials Stress Out About the Most?

If you ask just about anyone over 30 about the millennial generation, and you will likely not here too many good things. This is a group that has done a lot to create a rather unpleasant stigma about themselves, and this is especially true in the area of stress.

Recent studies have found that millennials are the most stressed out generation, which really doesn’t seem to make sense. Many are living at home with their parents, even into their late 20s and early 30s, and are finding that the conveniences of life are greater than any generation prior to theirs. They live in a world where everything is given to them quickly, and that there is little to no waiting period on almost anything.

Still Stressed Out

However, Millennials are still quite stressed out. According to the American Psychological Association, those who are between the ages of 18 to 35 are more stressed out than any generation before them. This is why they have become known as “generation stress.”

When one really examines the causes of their stress, there are some legitimate concerns. This generation has to compete in the job market, a market that is no longer limited to those in their specific location.

Now, because of the advancement of technology, the millennial generation finds itself competing with people all across the globe. Telecommuting allows people to be able to do a job no matter where they live, making it more difficult for a person to find a job. This leads to a lot of anxiety, both for men and women, and is driving up the stress levels of the millennial generation.

What They Stress Out About Most

While this is a major concern, it is really only a symptom of the overall issue that is most concerning to the millennial generation – financial concerns. Most people graduating from college now have $75,000 or more in student loan debt that they feel they will never be able to pay back.

Finding a job is a huge challenge, adding to the stress of having such a large amount of student loan debt. It has led to many holding off on building long-lasting relationships, like marriage, feeling that they do not have the financial resources necessary to be able to provide for their family.

Then there is trying to find a place to stay, make car payments, insurance payments, and all of the other financial responsibilities that come with being an adult. To this generation, it has become overwhelming.

Women Affected Most

Sadly, women are more affected by this crisis than men are. It used to be that men were far more stressed than women, but since 2007 the trend has been going the other way. Women are finding themselves far more stressed psychologically then men are, and this is leading to ill effects for both. The anxiety is causing issues with weight gain or loss, decreased physical health, anxiety, depression, and much more. It has even led many women to become unable to carry children because of their stress level.

Managing that Stress

Unfortunately, the number one method of stress management is to use substances in an attempt to escape. A large number in the millennial generation is pushing for the use of marijuana, which is really nothing more than an attempt to manage stress levels. It is just as useless as those who have attempted to do so using alcohol.

Many become addicted to online gaming, pornography, social media, gambling, or other vices in an attempt to deal with their stress levels. All of these are terrible methods to use to decrease stress, and will ultimately lead to increased levels of stress.

The truth is that the best stress management method is to create a plan on how to manage that stress. One does not need to find supplements or other stress less products. Instead, doing the simple things to take care of yourself and creating a plan of what you intend to do with your life is the number one way to decrease stress levels.

Eating right, getting a regular night sleep, and exercising regularly are some of the most important things you can do to improve your health and decrease your stress. In fact, researchers have already proven that a person who is getting a regular amount of sleep each night is 10 times more likely to be less stressed than a person who is not.

You also want to make sure that you have set goals that are attainable. Having a direction of what you want to do with yourself will help to alleviate stress. Sadly, too many from this generation have gone to college to attain useless liberal arts degrees only to find that they have mounting debt from a degree that is virtually useless in the real world.
Make smart decisions about what you want to do with your life, and you will quickly find that your stress levels will decrease and become more manageable.