First, millennials and Gen Zers have raised the bar for employers. And, when it comes to creating an inclusive and informed company culture, young adults so just that. Now, answering the question, “How does work stress impact young adults?”
However, even with the shifts in company culture, these younger generations are joining a workforce that is different than the previous generation.
You likely have a vision of the lifestyle you want to live, yet getting there is anything but dreamy. By now, you’ve realized not every job will be your dream position. But your job’s impact on insurance rates and mental health shouldn’t suffer.
If you’ve been feeling the weight of work responsibilities, these tips will show you that you’re not alone.
The Most Stressed-Out Generation
This is one award no one wanted, but with depression steadily increasing since the early 2000s, seeing the increase in millennials isn’t surprising.
According to Forbes, depression rates increased from 8.7% to 12.7% among young adults aged 12 to 17 and 6.6% to 7.3% between the years 2005 and 2015 in adults overall.
With roughly half of Gen Zers and 44 percent of millennials reporting struggling with depression, it’s time to take a deeper look into what’s causing this.
What causes the most stress in young adults?
Against what baby boomers and older generations may think, low views on social media aren’t the primary causes of stress in young people’s lives. Today’s young Americans have a coming-of-age and adult experience that has been almost tailored to trigger anxiety.
Today’s young adults have had to come into adulthood during all recent economic crashes and now a global pandemic, thanks to COVID-19.
For millennials and Gen Zs, getting a bachelor’s degree is almost the equivalent to a high school diploma in today’s job market. In addition to needing extended credentials, since 1980, the debt accumulated from attending a four-year school has more than doubled.
The basic adult expectations such as working a job with a livable wage, owning a house, and buying a car are more out of reach than ever before.
Trying to meet adulthood expectations while combating the realities of the economy has become the primary stress for millennials and Gen Zs.
Why Youngsters Are Stressing out Over Work
The need to support themselves in such expensive and unprecedented times is the primary cause for stress among young people globally.
In America alone, most states average a 20 percent depression rate, but programs for both general and career counseling in Southeastern Connecticut are working to help ease the mental strain.
However, workforce culture isn’t seeming to keep up with worldly changes. According to various sources, the most commonly stated reasons for workplace dissatisfaction are:
- Lack of opportunity: Many entry-level jobs have become dead-end positions in recent years, leaving young employees open to new positions.
- Job insecurity: Since the younger generations have entered the workforce, America has endured an economic crash, a recession, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Job insecurity has increased highly because of COVID, but many feared not being in a stable job position even before the pandemic. With these factors and more in account, feeling expendable has weakened most job performance.
- Demanding schedules: Americans work more than most of the world. More industries are adopting the around-the-clock mentality that is exhausting their workforce.
- Disengagement: Don’t blame the young workers or social media. An alarming amount of young professions report simply going to work for a check. With low expectations of what their workday will consist of, young employees are mentally checked out.
- Not enough pay: Living expenses from a can of pop to buying a home are more expensive than they used to be, and most cities require more than the median income to live comfortably. Millennials and Gen Zs are often referred to as the most educated yet have become the least compensated generation.
- Unaligned values: The younger generations have a reputation for prioritizing social impact over compensation. In times of multiple globalized social and political movements, finding companies that align with an employee’s personal values has become a high priority.
The Physical Effects of Work-Induced Stress
When one part of life feels unbalanced, it has a way of seeping into all other sectors. Furthermore, being unhappy at work not only affects job performance but has psychological and physical manifestations too.
A list of job-related stress symptoms includes:
- Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Irritability
- Depression
- Short attention span
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea
- Loss of sleep or change in sleep pattern
- Increased use of alcohol and drugs
Unfortunately, running into similar work conditions will only bring the symptoms back again in addition to stresses of unemployment in the interim, which leads to prolonged health complications.
Symptoms caused by work-related stress may also lead to long-term health and psychological issues such as:
- Weakened immune function
- Cardiovascular disease
- Heart palpitations
- Ulcers
- Muscular tension
- Cancer
- Psychological disorders
- Social withdrawal
- Suicide
These issues can even cause more problems. For example, if you’re in a car accident because of a health crisis brought on by stress, you may have to look into work loss car insurance to cover your finances after the accident.
How to Manage Work-Related Stress
Social and economic problems are uncontrollable. Whether you’re a millennial or Gen Z or just want to help one, here are some practices to adopt before reaching a breaking point.
Attend counseling: Anxiety counseling can be in person, virtual, or found through various mental wellness apps. Checking in and discussing your stress will guide you as well as allow you to blow off steam.
Get a hobby: We all need something to inspire us, and if your current position is leaving you unfulfilled, a source of activity outside of your job can help give you additional means of income. Keeping your mind stimulated and flexing your creative skills will keep you engaged and connected.
Start your mornings cheerful: Dragging yourself out of bed to go somewhere you dread becomes taxing. Do something for yourself each morning that doesn’t feel like a responsibility. Finding other sources of positivity lessens the weight of things you don’t enjoy.
Establish boundaries: Setting boundaries with employers can be intimidating. If you feel overwhelmed by work, discuss with your supervisor about sharing some of your duties or decreasing your hours.
Stay active: Exercise relieves stress while combating both the mental and physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. If hitting the gym isn’t your style, taking a walk or a bike ride after work, finding a class, or joining a local sports group will help keep up your endorphins and social activity.
Danielle Beck-Hunter writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, InsuranceProviders.com. Danielle is a millennial who researches how to combat stress and trauma triggers. Since graduating from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, she worked in various positions before starting her content consulting business.
