Any way you look at it, life is stressful for most 18- to 33-year-olds. From gaining financial independence to finding a career path to settling into a serious relationship, there are a lot of stressors affecting young adults. According to a new survey, these anxieties are adding up to make Millennials the most stressed generational group alive.
According to the survey, which was conducted by the American Psychological Association and Harris Interactive, Millennials reported an average stress level of 5.4 out of 10. Anything above a 3.6 is considered an unhealthy amount of stress by the researchers.
Whereas stress levels reported by other generations groups has declined in the past year, Millennials report ever-rising stress levels.
“Millennials are growing up at a tough time. They were sheltered in many ways, with a lot of high expectations for what they should achieve. Individual failure is difficult to accept when confronted with a sense you’re an important person and expected to achieve,” said Mike Hais, co-author of “Millennial Momentum,” to USA Today.
Although the stress Millennials deal with comes from a variety of angles, money and job anxiety are the top issues. This is largely due to the Great Recession, from which Millennials have suffered the most: According to the U.S. Census, median net worth of people under 35 fell 37 percent between 2005 and 2010; those over 65 took only a 13 percent hit.
A saturated job market also makes it difficult for Millennials to land jobs — even those for which they are over-qualified. Millennials currently experience at 13.2 percent unemployment rate, which is significantly higher than the overall national average of 7.8.
“Employers are often replacing entry-level positions meant for graduates with people who have more experience because the pool of applicants is so much larger,” said Kyle Storms, a recent graduate from Chapman University in California, in a 2012 Newsweek article titled “Are Millennials the Screwed Generation?”
Millennials also report feeling anxious about relationships, family responsibilities and the economy. Compared to other generational groups, a greater number of Millennials said they deal with depression or anxiety disorders.
Unfortunately, just 17 percent reported getting “a lot or great deal of help” from health care providers to cope with the stress. If you feel particularly stressed, consider looking into counseling services covered by insurance. If you’re dealing with mid-range stress levels, give yourself occasional breaks to work out, spend time with friends or listen to music.
