In contemporary jargon, the term ‘Millennial’ has come to mean a person who reached young adulthood roughly around the year 2000 – it refers to people in the age group of twenties to early thirties, who are transitioning from adolescence to maturity.

Several studies throughout the world show this age group to be more prone to chronic stress and angst than others. It is vitally important to trace the origin and root causes of this ever-increasing negativity among Millennial youths, and find possible remedies for it.

Value systems, long-term goals and lifestyle

In order to get an insight into the overall wellness quotient of Millennial individuals, it is essential to probe into three important areas of an individual’s life: value systems, long-term goals and lifestyle. Many broad studies, based on large-scale data, inexorably lead to one area of their lives: work-related stress. This issue is fast becoming an all-pervasive problem for the Millennials and it is leaving a deep scar in every aspect of their life and times:

Value systems:

Increasingly, the deep-rooted concepts of family, spirituality and relationships are taking back seats in the lives of the Millennial adult. Humans by nature are enterprising creatures – but the very construct of our civilisation is founded upon the successful functioning of the institution of a family. If that binding root is foregone, we end up in irresolvable conflict – doubts relating to the purpose of success, or the reason behind working hard, begin to arise. This is found to be extremely common in Millennials.

Repeated studies, about things that Millennials value most, show that they value a good job more than family or friends. Studies have seldom shown Millennials mentioning spiritual inclinations, revealing a void in the areas of self-discovery and introspection. They are seemingly trapped in a blinding mindset to achieve a certain level of success.

Long-term goals:

When asked about long-term targets, Millennials commonly express an inclination to reduce stress, achieve work-life balance, and find more rewarding work, indicating the same general frustration relating to work, as opposed to more constructive or creative goals.

Simply looking for a better paying job or more lucrative career is not an end in itself – it is only a means to a greater end – which, in the case of this age group, seems to be blurred. Satisfaction and happiness thus become very elusive concepts to the Millennial, as none can be found if there is no end to wanting more.

Lifestyle:

Another area of concern that often crops up in researches conducted on Millennials is the lack of relaxation time and overall unhealthy lifestyle. Unwanted anxiety, long working hours and emotional distress lead to what is referred to as a ‘negative lifestyle’, affecting the general wellness of the Millennial individual. Ironically, Millennials seem to be well aware of this stressful situation in their lives, but are caught up in a vicious circle of habit and ambition.

The overwhelming preoccupation of the Millennial mind seems to be the desire to land the best job, earn more money, buy more desirable commodities, and these combined pressures are causing undue stress and angst among Millennials.