Each generation carries  their own experiences and different frames of mind. Those conceived somewhere in the range of 1946 and 1964 are the guardians of the Millennial age.

People born after WW2 rebelled against ethical norms and following strict societal rules. Women’s liberation, looser sexual ethics and hostility towards war were some of those ways of rebellion. What mark will millennials leave in history?

The Millennial Generation, or those conceived from around 1980 to 2000, have a completely new set of stressors. We’ve also got war to worry about. Tensions between law enforcement and civilians has never been higher or more dangerous.

Millennial Stress

We are strapped for cash and not always set for success due to odds against us such as high cost of living and underemployment. We grew up with the reality that our country can be turned upside down, including our safety and smart phones have taken over our brains leaving us paralyzed zombies, sometimes neglecting important things we have to do.

This is just to name a few. What are millennials frames of mind and how does stress play into their lives?

Millennials Strengths

Millennials are very knowledgable, innovative, insightful, self-assured and go-getters, if I do say so myself!

They are also exceptionally reliant on each others success and not afraid to work together to achieve success. They have the advantage of utilizing web-based means of doing so as well as in person contact.

But what does having access to all of these ways of communicating mean for millennial stress levels? The latest research has found that Generation Millennial is truly Generation Stress. Across generations, Stress in America™ survey findings show Millennials  report an average stress level of 5.4 on a 10-point scale where 1 is “little or no stress” and 10 is “a great deal of stress.”

Millennials also added that stress keeps them wakeful during the evening and they feel a lot of uncertainty about their future.

As a result of rising stress levels, millennials experience the ill effects of stress and uneasiness. They will, in general, take this stress out on family and companions.

Their stress levels also place them at risk for medical problems such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

However, despite this unsettling news for Millennials, knowledge is power.

Knowing how to combat stress can help us become more productive and increase our ability to problem solve and think clearly. Here are some ways to manage stress.

1. Belly Breathe

Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of a breathing exercise that helps strengthen your diaphragm, an important muscle that helps you breathe. Diaphragmatic breathing is also sometimes called belly breathing. Most individuals inhale incorrectly (shallow, chest breaths) and this fundamentally impacts our stress and nervousness levels.

Figuring out how to midsection inhale (breathing into your lower body) activates your vagus nerve, helping you move out of the fight and flight frame of mind and into relaxation. Belly breathing, rather than breathing from your chest, sends signs to your mind that you’re protected and can deal with whatever the stressor.

The best part is belly breathing is something you can do anyplace, whenever. Utilizing belly breathing throughout periods of high stress enables you to quiet her brain and settle on better choices.

Stare down and ensure your belly is moving in and out to do a proper belly breath. Try breathing in for 4 counts and breathing out for 4 counts for 5 minutes total. Once your heart rate slows down enjoy the gift of clarity.

2.   Journal Your Thoughts.

When we feel stressed and restless, our mind is in overdrive It can feel ike our mind is and ca a mile a minute. It is difficult to focus and complete one task at a time. Journaling your thoughts begins activating your pre-frontal cortex (the CEO part of the cerebrum… discerning reasoning) and in doing this, this quiets the amygdala (passionate focus).

When we’re feeling on edge, the cerebrum interprets this as danger. Journaling truly helps process and realign our thoughts, helping you focus on what to do next to accomplish your goals, however big or small.

Don’t worry about writing intelligibly or proper use of grammar. Simply allow a free flow of thoughts and let your pen fly on the paper or your fingers on the keyboard. You may be surprised and what you write after allowing a free flow of ideas. You will undoubtably feel some relief freeing your thoughts from your mind.

3.   Lean On Each Other

I previously stated millennials are good at leaning on each other. The same goes for those who are stressed. Be sure to reach out to a friend and either take your mind off of your stress or talk it out to hear a different point of view. You can even join social media groups to specifically manage stress.

Your peers could offer some valuable insight as to how they manage their stress that you may find useful. Don’t be afraid to reach out yourself and ask others for opinions on how to handle what is currently stressing you. People who belong to these groups are a very thoughtful community who love to offer their opinion and share their success stories.

4. Take Control

Take control of your stress by chipping away at it. Write down a list of the mounting problems you feel you need to fix and tackle them one by one. Look at each stressful situation independently and determine what can be changed. Is the actual situation causing you stress impossible or are you overwhelmed and convincing yourself the problem cannot be solved?

A good way to manage stress is enhancing your people skills and conflict resolutions strategies. For example, lets say people in your life are mad at you lately for snapping at them too often. You could choose to say, “This is just the way I am,” or you can decide how you want to lessen this behavior. Consider a course of action and stick with it.

For instance, let’s say you decide I’m going to take a deep breath and walk away if I feel I may snap on someone when I’m stressed.

Be sure to let people know you are working on your anger and may walk away if you feel you cannot control it in the moment and you will come back when you have calmed down. The plan is out there and so now you are in a better position to follow through.

If your stress seems to be controlling you more than you are able to control it, you may want to seek out a therapist to guide you in the process.

By identifying the source of stress in your life and identifying healthy ways to deal with it, you can control your stress.

Find something that works for you and practice this everyday. By doing so, you will be on the road to a life of less stress.

What works for you?

If you ask just about anyone over 30 about the millennial generation, they will likely have, at the very least, a small list of daily stressors. One thing the majority of millennials can agree on is that the number one thing millennials stress out about most is finances.

 Many are living at home with their parents, even into their late 20s and early 30s. They often find that the demands of life are greater than any generation prior. Yes, the economy is strengthening, but not everyone finds that “dream position” in terms of employment and financial stability.

Then, there is the fact that we live in a time of immediate gratification. There is little to no waiting period on almost anything. While that can be a great thing, it also means having to deliver results just as quickly which ultimately can be stressful.

Now We’re 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.”

Unfortunately, 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 enables people to work wherever they live, sometimes 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.

Millennial Finances 

While this is a major concern, it is only a symptom of the overall issue that is most concerning to the millennial generation – financial concerns. The majority of people graduating from college now have $75,000 or more in student loan debt.

Finding a job is a huge challenge, adding to the stress of having such a large amount of student loan debt. Being in a financial crisis and being unemployed is a recipe for high stress. 

Financial Competition

The Millennials generation experiences increasing competition to do something epic. Your good friend is getting married?

This is a totally a reason to drop $2k in Miami on a bachelorette party right? You’re turning 30? So, of course, you have to rent out the VIP area even if you have to put it on your card and pay it in installments. Wrong! 

Women Are Affected Most By Stress

Sadly, women are more affected by this crisis more than men. 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 than men are, and this is leading to ill effects for both.

This anxiety can lead to 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.

How To Manage Financial Stress

As always, let’s discuss some solutions. The truth is that the best stress management method is to create a plan to manage that stress.

Creating a plan of what you intend to do with your life is the number one way to decrease stress levels.

Listen, we can go back and forth forever and say is this my golden opportunity? Do I want to stay on this path and receive a degree in this area or take this particular job?

The truth is who knows yet if it is a mistake until you try it out, move up the ladder and see how far you go? 

Many people back out from a career in which they’ve made progress because they are scared. They say ya know what? Let me start on a new path before I finish this one, because maybe it was a mistake. That is a big maybe.

Unless you truly feel with every fiber of your being that you’re meant to go on a new path, stay still!

Slow down and climb the next ladder rung. If you get where you wanted to go in your current path, you’ve established confidence and made some headway, now you can truly say, “Wow I can’t believe I’m established in this field!”, or “Holy crap! this is not for me.”

Set Goals 

A goal can be any objective that you set and push yourself to achieve. Sometimes that goal may be small (like going for a run three days a week) and sometimes it may be larger (like earning a promotion).

Setting attainable goals is also important. Committing to a career path and making progress towards this path, step by step, will help to alleviate stress.

Why not think of a small goal you want to set right now, personal or professional. To make your goal S.M.A.R.T., it needs to conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Specific

What exactly do you want to achieve? The more specific your description, the bigger the chance you’ll get exactly that. S.M.A.R.T. Goal setting clarifies the difference between “I want to be a millionaire” and “I want to get paid a salary fitting for my career area.”

Questions you may ask yourself when setting your goals and objectives are:

• What exactly do I want to achieve?
• Where?
• How?
• When?
• With whom?
• What are the conditions and limitations?
• Why exactly do I want to reach this goal
• What are the possible alternative ways of achieving the same?

The goal must clearly state what is to be achieved, by whom, where, and when it is to be achieved. Sometimes it may even state why that goal is important.

For example, rather than saying “I want to lose weight” you could say “I want to lose ten pounds by this summer”.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Measurable

Measurable goals mean identifying exactly what it is you will see, hear, and feel when you reach your goal.

Measurable goals mean breaking down goals into measurable elements. You’ll need concrete evidence. For instance, “I want to save $5,000 a year for the next five years.” This can be measured by the dollar amount and  amount of years.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Attainable

Is your goal attainable? That means investigating whether the goal is realistic for you. So rather than starting with “I will win a Pulitzer,” Maybe the goal can be “I will write five articles in the next month and try to submit one to an online journal within the next three months.”

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Relevant

Is reaching your goal relevant to you? Do you want to run a marathon? Or maybe it is more important for you to focus on getting a job that fits within the degree you obtained.

S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: Timely

Time is money! Make a tentative plan of everything you do. Maintain deadlines and keep them realistic and flexible.

It is not only about making decisions, but it is also about sticking to those decisions.

There is something so settling about creating a plan and sticking with it!

The Takeaway

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.

Will there be a divine certainty from up above telling us we are on the right path?

No, but that would be nice.

Trust yourself and trust that you are moving forward. Sometimes, this is better than staying still or starting new, before you’ve given yourself a chance to succeed.