When looking at Gen Z, ages 15-21, there is an increasing amount of young people who are dealing with anxiety and/or depression. There are social changes that could have an effect on the increase. This generation of people have lived through global, social and local changes that have contributed to creating deep seated uncertainties to take root. Gen Z anxiety looks a little different and today we are talking about that. Do you know a Gen Z who struggles with multiple anxiety points? Let’s take a look at what could be contributing to anxiety in that group of people.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety is not a new term; it has been around a while. But while anxiety isn’t new, there are new circumstances that are increasing the rate in which our young adults experience it. Today, we will take a look at anxiety as well as new circumstances that have created more anxiety. There are common life circumstances that are known to create anxiousness. A few of those are below.
- Constant changes all around them
- Unsure of college and/or job plans
- Ever changing relationships
- How to pay for life
- Self esteem
- Effects of social media
New Gen Z Anxiety Triggers?
All of these are circumstances are known to increase a person’s chance of experiencing anxiety and/or depression. Couple these with the additional environmental circumstances of today and it becomes easier to see how we have a population of people who struggle even more. It can be easy to see why Gen Z has more than double the amount of people struggling with anxiety and depression than previous generations. Below are a few of the added stressors of today. Do you find yourself or your loved ones get stressed from these?
- COVID 19 Pandemic
- Lack of opportunities to get together with friends and family
- Isolation of Virtual Learning
- Loneliness
- Constant Comparison on Social Media
- Increased Negative Messages on Social Media Platforms
Understanding anxiety and recognizing anxiety with you or a loved one is an important first step. Some have reported not realizing certain activities were causing more anxiousness for them. If this resonates with you and you are ready to take steps to help with these feelings, keep reading. There is help and you are not alone.
What Can I Do?
If you are still reading, I celebrate that, and you should too. There are steps that we can take to help us manage the things in life that keep us feeling anxious or depressed. Taking the first step is sometimes the hardest part. It is an important step to take thou. Living with anxiety is hard and it is hard on your body. It can affect you physically, mentally and emotionally. It can affect every aspect of your life if left alone. There is help. Below are steps you can take in an effort to overcome being controlled by anxiety. Will you pick one and take a step for yourself today?
- Recognize and acknowledge anxiety
- Decide if you want to take a step
- Choose healthy foods
- Decrease gaming time and increase activity
- Reduce time spent on social media
- Engage with a trusted friend, in person
- Seek activities you enjoy outdoors
- Evaluate your caffeine intake
- Put your smart devices away for periods of time
- Read up on coping strategies, get help if needed
- Don’t be afraid to seek therapy
Do all of these require a step of change? Yes, they do. Change is necessary for us to make differences in our lives. Once anxiety is recognized within you, a step is necessary. It can be hard and even scary, but we can do hard things. Talk to someone you trust. Let them know the step you are taking. Ask them to support you and encourage you. It is good to have someone on your side. Let’s take control of #GenZAnxiety
What If I Need Help?
If you have tried to take steps to concur anxiety and you need help to move forward, it is ok. Often, we need the help of a professional to step us through our personal wounds and patterns. Upstate Restorative Counseling is here to help you do just that. We have a team of counselors who have a passion to help others achieve their best. They have a passion to help you.
