5 Actionable Tips to Survive Stress as a Millennial In the Modern World
The modern world is gripped to digital screens, success, smartness, intelligence, beauty, or appearance. And millennials too are up there, moving beyond the third stage of Maslow’s theory.
Their key to happiness is beyond the basic needs and nothing is enough for them. And this leads to them chasing endless aspirations, the spiral of demanding needs, and redefining success at every step.
According to research, millennials are the most nervous generation in decades. This is because they are living in an unparalleled age of constant multi-tasking and social networking.
And their stress is the by-product of an explosion of social media, workplace rivalry, the idea of instant success, dysfunctional relationships, a sedentary lifestyle, worries regarding financial stability, political opinions, health concerns, and so on.
However, it is tough just to skip these problems, partly because they are a part of the modern world. But what you can do instead is to counter this stress and manage it effectively not to reach the burnout stage.
1. Journaling
While it may seem absurd, merely writing down your thoughts on paper can go a long way to deal with stress. Generally, the emotional part of the mind is in overdrive when we feel overwhelmed and nervous. Stressful minds usually chatter all sorts of nonsense and feel more exhausted and out of control.
Millennials can choose to write down the thoughts that can stimulate the prefrontal cortex, helping to relax the amygdala (emotional center). If that seems tough to understand, think that journaling can boost happy hormones.
If you are too bored to write it in a book, try e-Journaling. One such way to do it is to start with Lugelo that provides creative space to start your journal by recording audio, clicking pictures, and even sharing it with friends and everyone in the community.
When you start journaling, you will experience walking through your thoughts and memories. Try writing your emotions, incidents, daily conversation with anyone, and more. It will push you towards meaningful insight into yourself and clarity of ideas.
2. Try the Music Therapy
Music has a well-established calming ability and is known since time immemorial to have a positive impact. It can calm a person’s senses as it connects with the emotions.
The pace, lyrics, and intensity of the music you’re listening to can significantly impact your mood. It is always recommended to listen to soothing instrumental music while working; relaxing music can soothe the nerves, clear the mind, and focus.
This kind of music also has a beneficial impact on physiological functions- slowing pulse and heart rate, decreasing blood pressure, and reducing stress hormone levels.
Additionally, when you feel weak, try listening to upbeat music to make your mood brighter, and soothe your senses. Vocals and lyrics will often inspire you and raise your spirits.
3. Meditation and Yoga
One of the leading causes of rising stress among millennials and generations is their lifestyle. Yoga and meditation have a calming impact on the mind and body, making it an ideal cure for physical and mental well-being.
Previous generations were less affected by stress due because they valued physical exercises and practiced yoga and meditation.
In today’s modern world, millennials do not opt for such slow-paced techniques like yoga and meditation; instead, they prefer to play games or do stuff on social media. But these things can build more stress instead of reducing it.
Although meditation/ yoga is a long-term process, it is the most potent and valid instrument that integrates body and mind with spiritual elements. Daily practice of asanas yoga and meditation techniques can help millennials balance life and deal more composedly with the stress.
The feeling of fear activates the autonomous nervous system and releases stress hormones. That is why controlled meditation and deep breathing help calm the autonomous nervous system down to normal levels.
Therefore, try dedicating 10 to 20 minutes to yoga or meditation every day to lead a healthy, stress-free life.
4. Work on Schedule
Planning or scheduling a daily routine can be very helpful to deal with unnecessary stress. Many millennials live a chaotic life, which leads to undue burden and stress. Brain Tracy says that one minute of preparation saves in at least 10 minutes.
Well, that sums up how planning can help to enhance performance, which ultimately plummets the tension. It is natural to get frustrated when the tasks pile up, but you can keep a check on it when you have a to-do list in place.
Start making it a habit, stay strict to the schedule no matter what and that’s when you will be able to stay focused throughout the day. Millennials will also see how efficient they become as they try following a schedule, without missing any crucial task.
5. Spending Time in Nature
The concrete jungles have left little space for fresh oxygen for millennials. Perhaps, this is also the generation that has to pay rent to play a good game of soccer in the city and found interest in playing video games.
Remember, our minds have a deep connection to nature, and research shows that spending time in nature lowers the stress hormone.
Leaving all electronic devices behind and spending time in nature will help alleviate stress and anxiety, enhance your mood, and raise feelings of well-being and happiness. It is no wonder millennials prefer more paid vacations than the pay rise, they do value the idea to stay connected with nature.
Final Thoughts
We live in a time that has an overload of information but lesser physical contact. Such virtual relations have taken a toll on millennials’ physical and mental well-being, where sometimes they fail to even distinguish between the real and virtual world. The only way to survive the storm of the modern world is to ensure implementing these five tips.
