12 Reasons Why Millennials Are So Anxious About the Future
Millennials get a bad rap. We’re the generation between those who have no technology and those who will have it all, and yet we’re the generation that’s at the top of the list when it comes to most depression and stress cases.
Millennials were the last ones before smartphones, and so we all have memories of growing up without social media that the generation after us won’t have. And yet there are fewer provisions given to our generation despite the fact that we are now living one historical disaster after another.
The biggest challenge when it comes to millennial stress is figuring out why people are so anxious about the future. Understanding millennials isn’t always easy but the way the world is right now there is so much to worry about!
There are financial crashes and the birth of platforms such as the e-Pocket crypto exchange to manage Bitcoin. There are wars happening around the world and there are plenty of problems when it comes to the environment and the cost of living.
Is there any real wonder why millennials are stressed?! Either way, we’ve got some of the top reasons for you below so that you have a better understanding of the issues at hand. It’s not a factor open for debate either – the world feels like it’s going backward and millennials are all pretty much in agreement that it sucks! So, here’s why millennials are so anxious about the future!
#1: More of Us Have Anxiety Than Ever
Did you know that more than 10% of millennials have a diagnosed anxiety disorder? We are in the workforce and trying to fit our lives into the minimal time we have on the weekends, and that leads to us feeling more stressed and more worried than ever before. With that much stress and no time to manage it, it’s no wonder millennials constantly feel like they are in the grip of worry.
#2: The Job Market Sucks
We need work to live, but we need the experience to find work, but we need work to have experience, and without any experience, you don’t have work so you can’t live.
Long gone are the days that anyone could just walk into the workplace and someone would train you. Now training costs money and time that people aren’t willing to give anymore! It’s one of the biggest headaches for millennials who are just trying to live and get through life.
#3: We’re In Debt
From the moment we try to better our lives by studying, we’re in debt. Mortgages, student loans, financial strain, a ‘computer says no’ world of credit that once damaged cannot be repaired for the better part of a decade. It’s a world that puts us into more and more debt and it’s not getting easier.
#4: Emotional Damage
Ah, we’re not talking about the emotional damage of TikTok videos. We’re talking about our Boomer parents and the trauma we were put through as kids just trying to grow up and make mistakes.
Millennials are increasingly refusing to have children of their own, too, because that means having to break familial habits and that is just not as simple as it sounds.
#5: A Confidence Crisis
Millennials are consistently raised to believe that if they don’t get a good degree and a good job, they’re going to fail in life. With this comes a crisis of confidence that there is only a limited time before they can be a success. The thing is, it’s just not true. More of us are discovering our passions and purpose later in life and that’s still just fine!
#6: An Addiction to Ambition
In a world where the cost is rising and the only way to make difference is to be in government, is there any wonder we are all addicted to ambition? This level of addiction is a stressful thing to deal with, and we’re struggling to balance work and fun at the same time.
#7: We’re Not Sleeping
If you switch on any news media outlet it’s plain to see why we’re not sleeping. The world is HARSH and as we don’t have a good living wage, we’re working every hour possible and compromising on our sleep to do it. It’s not an easy way to live but yet here we are.
#8: Bad Habits
Smoking? Drinking? Drugs? Caffeine? These are all bad habits and we’re at the center of almost all of them. Not every millennial takes drugs, but caffeine is the biggest issue and we’re all addicted to coffee. It’s been long documented that millennials with bad habits are those with the most stress because it’s much harder to find the correct balance in life.
#9: The Expectations
There is an awful lot of pressure on millennials and the pressure of expectation is the worst one. Millennials are talented but it’s these huge expectations that are toughest to cope with. The expectation that we won’t be what we want to be is terrifying and it’s a lot of pressure to try and live up to expectations we have put on us from an early age.
#10: No Work/Life Balance
It’s the hardest part of being an adult today. There’s no balance. We work, eat, sleep, repeat and the ‘hustle’ has been glorified and a good way for people to convince us that we don’t need pay rises. We do, but we’re consistently told that working for it all until we pass out is the best way forward. What world is it that we’re living in where we don’t get to truly live?
#11: Peer Pressure
You expect peer pressure to end when you’re in school but it doesn’t. Of all the generations, millennials are most affected when it comes to peer pressure. We fear the lack of success that we struggle to maintain and it’s scary to live like that!
#12: The Culture of Being Perfect
We can blame social media and the unrealistic expectations of beauty here. We don’t do as well as we could have!
#13: What Can You Do?
If you’re a millennial and you’re feeling the pressure, it might be time to seek help. This is something that 1 in 4 of us will suffer from at some point and it can be tough to cope with. We’re not superhumans, we need help too! Talk to your GP or look online for mental health services in your area. Or if you don’t feel like leaving your house, there are plenty of articles and videos on the internet about how to cope with anxiety and you can even click on this page for some great services.
It’s time for a change, and we can be the generation to make it. We need to learn to cope with our anxiety and mental health in a better way so that we can succeed. We’re the generation that can make a difference, so let’s do it!
