“Gen Y” is the generation of people born between the 80’s and the 90’s. Psychologists have observed that there has been a significant rise in the number of “Gen Y” patients suffering from anxiety and depression. The generation that is currently at their prime of life is just not happy with where they are or what they’re doing.
They reported “A loss of fulfilment in their careers”, “A feeling of sadness even when they’ve got everything they wanted”, “and Strong fear of failure” “and an unexplainable sense of misery” where they constantly felt “Is this really making me happy?”
Why is this generation feeling so lost? It seems to be because they appear stuck between generations that have been too idealistic, to a generation that has become too realistic. They have been brought up by parents who have always been too principled in their way of thinking. Their parents probably stuck on to the same job for 25 years before they realized they were unhappy and some even then stuck around with it till they retired. Loyalty mattered more than self-growth for a lot of them. Whereas generation Z (the newest generation) is the complete opposite. They are more up front with their thinking, will do what seems right to them, regardless of what people have to say and may even come across to most as spoilt and rude.
Now Gen Y seems to be trapped in the middle of it. They are absolutely unclear of how they should feel. Their upbringing pulls them toward the path of being an idealist whereas the current scenario world over (through exposure to media) pulls them towards being more real and doing what their heart tells them to, regardless of the consequences.
This is a Major conflict being faced by all. Well, every generation had some differences from the previous one but I believe this time the gap’s gone too far. The generation above held social commitments so dearly, held social image so close to their heart, it felt like it defined them, but Gen Z is far from that. They like to show themselves for their good side and more importantly their Bad side because of the Ideology “Love me for who I am” or “Take me or leave me”.
Another factor that attributed to Gen Y’s unhappiness stemmed from the fact that they couldn’t match their life to what they had imagined. Around them they saw everyone else booming; a 20 year old becoming a billionaire and a man in his 30’s invented an app that sold for 100 million dollars. He sees artists younger to him owning penthouses, where he couldn’t even make enough to buy his own studio. Hearing the news one would think that making money is so easy, “I just need to invent an app or invent something really different or I just need to write a song like “Kolaveri D” and I can be world famous”
But Reality was quite different! Growing up he expected that he would be the change. His parents told him all along that he was special and if he wanted he could do anything he wanted, the world was his to conquer. But then once college got over, he realized how difficult it was to even have a secure averagely paying job which did not even satisfy half the goal’s he had set in life. On one hand he knows he has to stick around and work hard but on the other hand YOLO (You Only Live Once) seemed to be the new age mantra.
Cal Newport points out that “follow your passion” is a catchphrase that has only gotten going in the last 20 years, according to Google’s Ngram viewer, a tool that shows how prominently a given phrase appears in English print over any period of time. The same Ngram viewer shows that the phrase “a secure career” has gone out of style, just as the phrase “a fulfilling career” has gotten hot.
What can we do to help?
You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain.
That’s the philosophy they could apply. It’s important to keep moving forward but more important to keep moving because eventually you will move towards what you’ve been aiming for.
A talk with a good counsellor is beneficial to get more clarity on your thought process.
Talk to people about it, especially your peers which help you realize pretty much everyone’s sailing with you in the same ship. You could then rationalize your fears and anxieties.
Homoeopathy can be very beneficial in helping you deal with your fears and anxieties. Homoeopathy is the only system which can get to the root of your complaints and help you deal with it in a natural manner.
Bach flower remedies too can be useful here.
More importantly, stay focused and put yourself first but think long term.