{"id":281418,"date":"2026-02-05T03:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/281418\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T03:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T03:29:09","slug":"millennials-who-felt-constantly-anxious-growing-up-usually-struggled-with-these-8-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/281418\/","title":{"rendered":"Millennials Who Felt Constantly Anxious Growing Up Usually Struggled With These 8 Things"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the\u00a0American Psychological Association<\/a>\u00a0(APA), millennials experience more stress and are less able to manage it than any other generation. More than half of us admit to having lain awake at night during the past month from stress.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, millennials are also more anxious than older Americans. The APA reports that 12 percent of millennials have a diagnosed anxiety disorder\u00a0\u2014 almost twice the percentage of Boomers. Another APA report<\/a> found 35% of millennials said they\u2019d received help from a mental health professional, while a 2014\u00a0American College Health Association<\/a>\u00a0(ACHA) assessment found that anxiety regularly afflicts 61 percent of college students.<\/p>\n

Anxiety not only harms our well-being but also sabotages our productivity. The ACHA assessment found that the top two tolls on students\u2019 academic performance were stress and anxiety. Two-thirds of millennials attribute declining work performance to anxiety.<\/p>\n

Sources of millennial anxiety may include a tough job market and student debt, as well as psychological causes I\u2019ve covered previously, such as\u00a0ambition obsession<\/a>,\u00a0career crises<\/a>, and\u00a0choice overload<\/a>. But even our day-to-day behaviors can incite anxiety.<\/p>\n

Millennials who felt constantly anxious growing up usually struggled with these 8 things:1. Bad sleep habits<\/p>\n

\"Tired Prostock-studio via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most prevalent contributor to anxiety is poor sleep. A study found<\/a> that lack of sleep can play a significant role in excessive worrying. Common causes of insufficient sleep include going to bed at different times, not making sleep a priority, and spending time on\u00a0phones or laptops right before bed. Instead,\u00a0form a long, boring nighttime routine free from technology, keep a journal by your bed to write down thoughts that keep you awake, and exercise during the day to wear out your body.<\/p>\n

RELATED: People With These 7 Simple Sleep Habits Get Better Rest Than Everyone Else<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Skipping meals<\/p>\n

\"Happy fizkes via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Eating consistently regulates not only our metabolism and insulin levels but also our mental stability. Delaying eating or skipping meals can cause unsteady blood sugar levels. Imbalanced blood sugar levels can cause shakiness, dizziness, confusion, and difficulty speaking, which are also anxiety symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dehydration has a similar effect, according to research<\/a>. Because food and water are biological needs, anxiety naturally follows hunger and thirst. Instead,\u00a0eat meals regularly. Keep granola bars or nuts at your desk or in your purse. Bring a water bottle to work and sip it throughout the day. Have a glass of water right when you wake up and before you go to sleep.<\/p>\n

RELATED: If Someone Usually Skips Breakfast In the Morning, They’re Lowkey Struggling With These 11 Things<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Drinking coffee<\/p>\n

\"Silly Roman Samborskyi via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Drinking coffee makes us more alert and, in many cases, helps us perform better on short-term tasks. But it can also make people\u00a0jittery, irritable, and nervous, especially if they\u2019re already predisposed to anxiety.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Research showed<\/a> sensitivity to caffeine is, in fact, heightened in people with panic disorder\u00a0and social phobia, and caffeine can provoke panic attacks in some individuals. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which can cause dehydration, an anxiety trigger established above. Instead,\u00a0try weaning off coffee by switching to just one cup a day, decaf or black tea. If you feel calmer and more in control after a couple of weeks without it, commit to quitting and pull out all the stops.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 3 Reasons People With This Personality Trait Often Struggle At Work \u2014 Even When They\u2019re Talented<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Sitting too long<\/p>\n

\"Busy Monkey Business Images via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

America\u2019s\u00a0surge of anxiety symptoms\u00a0parallels our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. But, until studies on sedentary behavior<\/a>, it was unclear whether the two were actually linked. After a lengthy analysis, researchers found that the risk of anxiety increases as sedentary behavior increases \u2014 and, specifically, sitting time spikes one\u2019s likelihood of experiencing anxiety.<\/p>\n

Instead,\u00a0If you work at a desk all day, you\u2019re not doomed. Get up and walk around every ninety minutes. Offset your sitting time with regular\u00a0exercise, which one study<\/a> suggested\u00a0halves\u00a0your risk of anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

RELATED: This One Simple Change In Your Posture Can Make You Feel Happier Instantly, According To Research<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Screen time<\/p>\n

\"Busy Artie Medvedev via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

A\u00a0survey showed<\/a> that Millennials spend over 5 hours a day on their phones. Of course, technology vastly improves our lives in innumerable ways. But too much of it makes us anxious. Screen-based entertainment\u00a0increases central nervous system arousal, which can amplify anxiety. Social media is\u00a0similarly associated\u00a0with low moods and depression.<\/p>\n

Instead:\u00a0Next time you\u2019re waiting or have nothing to do, leave your phone in your pocket or purse. Relinquish it as a means of alleviating boredom and instead use it consciously as needed for its useful functions.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Science Says Avoiding Screens For A Day Will Not Reset Your Dopamine, But These 4 Activities Will<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Not clocking out<\/p>\n

\"Frustrated fizkes via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

According to data from\u00a0the Forbes\u00a0Work State of Mind Project<\/a>, millennials become anxious and irritated when work intrudes on their personal lives. But our bad work-life balance is our own choosing.\u00a0Many millennials feel productivity shouldn’t be measured by the number of hours at work, but by the output of the work performed. The reality is, even after we leave the office, we\u2019re still at work.<\/p>\n

Instead,\u00a0we can still be ambitious, work long hours, and impress our bosses without sacrificing psychological health and personal boundaries. So clock out: In your calendar, schedule a defined, consistent time at night to stop working. When time\u2019s up, mark that task complete and go take care of yourself.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 4 Signs Of Being Overworked That Jobs Want You To Think Are Normal<\/a><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Binge watching<\/p>\n

\"Tired fizkes via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

You may think snuggling up on the couch and watching a movie will help you unwind, but research disproves this trend. In one\u00a0study<\/a>, participants felt more depressed and anxious after watching just two hours of TV than those who didn\u2019t. Another\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found that those with anxiety and depression spend significantly more time on the computer and watching television. While resting reduces anxiety in the short term,\u00a0research reveals<\/a>\u00a0that its effect is short-lived, particularly compared with exercise.<\/p>\n

Instead,\u00a0do anything but watch TV when you\u2019re done with work. Go on a walk, grab drinks, knit, work, draw, write, sit in your room and look at the wall, call your mom, actually cook dinner, build something, play badminton.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 3 Ways To Replace Your Pesky Overthinking Habit, According To Psychologist<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Hanging out with anxious people<\/p>\n

\"Anxious fizkes via Shutterstock<\/p>\n

You might feel like you\u2019ve found someone you can vent to who understands you, but studies show that\u00a0ruminating on anxiety<\/a>\u00a0often makes it worse. Furthermore, participating in \u201cintergroup anxiety\u201c increases one\u2019s anxious behaviors.<\/p>\n

Instead:\u00a0Seek out\u00a0people who level your mood. After you hang out with someone, ask yourself if you feel stable and well\u2014or if you\u2019re hyped up and on edge. It\u2019s easy to spend less time with certain people once you\u2019ve decided they\u2019re bad for your health.<\/p>\n

If the annoyance, pain, and performance impairment of day-to-day anxiety aren\u2019t enough to quit these bad habits, perhaps this is: Research<\/a> showed<\/a> anxiety is implicated in heart disease, migraines, chronic respiratory disorders, and gastrointestinal conditions.<\/p>\n

Despite our youth, chronic anxiety is not sustainable. By swapping out these daily practices, we can improve our moods and our lives one habit at a time.<\/p>\n

RELATED: I Constantly Felt Drained And Run-Down Until I Adopted These 10 Morning Habits<\/a><\/p>\n

Caroline Beaton<\/a>\u00a0is a freelance journalist covering health, modern psychology, and culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related Stories From YourTango:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"According to the\u00a0American Psychological Association\u00a0(APA), millennials experience more stress and are less able to manage it than any…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":281419,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[434,103,61,60,410,411,2415,4809,435,1962],"class_list":{"0":"post-281418","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-anxiety","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-mental-health","13":"tag-mentalhealth","14":"tag-millennials","15":"tag-self","16":"tag-stress","17":"tag-work"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}