Stress and anxiety can manifest themselves in a lot of different way — from worrying about finances, to stressing about relationships, to demanding work schedules, to life in general, the signs of stress can appear in just about every walk of life.

If you’re a millennial, stress has been synonymous with your generation’s moniker for years. But 2020 and 2021 have seen in increases in stress levels across generations, particularly due to the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – losing loved ones, social distancing, closures and/or layoffs in businesses, and overall uncertainty about the strange and sad time has taken its toll. As noted by Nature, researchers say these effects on mental health could stick around long after the pandemic has ended.

At times, it can feel impossible to try and manage stress or feel any sense of calm. But why have millennials, specifically, not been able to cope well with it? Avantika Dixit — the creator of Woke Hero, a platform that teaches millennials to overcome struggles — discussed how and why young people are struggling with Patch.

Millennials continue to face unprecedented stressors

If you’re a millennial and you’ve been really feeling it lately, you’re not alone. According to Avantika Dixit, creator of Woke Hero, millennials have been dealing with not just daily stressors, but “major life events” on what feels like a regular basis. Add a pandemic, and things are bound to get (and stay) worse. 

“Outside of their daily work and financial struggles, until 2020, the biggest stressors for millennials were major life events like divorce, death, illness, or caring for a family member — things that don’t happen too often,” Dixit told Patch. “The pandemic really turned up the switch on that, and now, young people are needing help navigating through it all.” So while anyone can face stressful situations, this age group, ranging from 25 to 40, has been feeling it on a whole different level.

Dixit went on to share how understanding stress and focusing on self-care can help with mental health. For instance, it is important to remember that the pandemic has been an out-of-the-ordinary event that has taken its toll on everyone physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is also good to learn about how stress can physically impact the body, so you can take cues from nerve signals and hormone production (via Popular Science).

Some therapist-approved tips for managing stress include talking with a professional, working out, eating a healthy diet, practicing mindfulness, and giving yourself the space and time to fun (via Talkspace).

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