Daily Buzz: Millennials’ Work Anxiety Challenges

There’s no question that life can be stressful. And for millennials, the effects of feeling overwhelmed bleed deeper into work than older generations. In a national poll conducted for Quartz by SurveyMonkey Audience, 18 percent of working adults said they experience anxiety or depression to a point where it disrupts work “all the time” or “often.” For millennial and gen Z workers, that number jumps to 30 percent.

“Although millennials report higher rates of anxiety compared to their older colleagues, it’s unclear whether millennials really are more anxious than other generations were at the same age, or if cultural portrayals of them as fragile and thin-skinned make it seem that way. The historical data isn’t there for us to know,” says Lila MacLellan in a post for Quartz at Work  (opens in a new tab). “Then again, many of the suggested causes for millennial distress truly are unique to this era, creating what some call a ‘sociological’ form of anxiety.”

MacLellan highlights ballooning student debt, helicopter parents, and the effects of being the first generation to grow up with sophisticated technology as some of these uniquely millennial and younger experiences.

On top of that, 53 percent of employees of all ages say they go to work even when they think they should take a mental health day. The reason? At least a third of respondents don’t believe it’s a strong enough alibi to miss work—and think management would agree.

Find Balance During the Holiday Season

How can you successfully navigate the holiday season while balancing both life and work? @Forbes  (opens in a new tab) #meetingprofs  (opens in a new tab) #eventprofs  (opens in a new tab) #worklifebalance  (opens in a new tab) https://t.co/GtXOYscvZN  (opens in a new tab)

— parked (@thehopethefood) December 7, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

With the cheer and togetherness of the holiday season, the scales of work-life balance often tip in favor of personal time. And that’s OK: The holidays are meant to be shared with loved ones. That said, the end of the year also tends to come with pressing work deadlines.

So, how can one successfully juggle both sides? Forbes  (opens in a new tab) asked 12 business and career coaches  (opens in a new tab) for suggestions, which range from making lists that break down priority tasks, to creating—and sticking to—a systematic schedule, to not being afraid to say no.

“Balance is like a teeter-totter, slow and steady, up and down,” says coach Amber Wendover. “Focus where needed to keep the teeter-totter moving, knowing that sometimes perfect balance isn’t a necessity—just awareness of which side has more weight.”

Other Links of Note

Many people are separated from loved ones during the holidays. The VolunteerMatch blog shares how you can support such team members this season  (opens in a new tab).

The 12 objectives every nonprofit communications plan should have  (opens in a new tab), from Nonprofit Marketing Guide.

Here’s where virtual reality is headed in 2019  (opens in a new tab), according to the HubSpot blog.