Careers One Of The Top Causes Of Stress Among Young People

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According to a study by UK Youth, young adults spend more than six hours a day “stressed out”, but 1 in 10 feel they have no one to discuss their concerns with. Today’s adults are concerned by a culmination of factors spanning from social-life and education to finances and work-life.

Unsurprisingly research reveals that the most stressed age group is those falling into the “university age” bracket of 18-24-year olds. However, while millennials have been dubbed the “burnout generation”, 18-35-year-olds are most likely to be concerned about money and work.

Ahead of Time to Talk Day 2020 (6th February), Fresh Student Living has delved into the factors causing stress among young people, including the most stressful careers.

Top Causes of Stress Among Young People

• Work/Careers
• Academic pressure
• Uncertainty about the future
• Loneliness
• Social media
• Finances

The Most Stressful Professions

Once entering the world of work, graduates who can finally enjoy freedom outside of academic studies are faced with a secondary layer of difficulty – finding a job. YouGov revealed 81% of students feel pressure to find a job within six months of graduating.To add to this, Perkbox revealed that work is the most common cause of stress, with over half of adults (59%) experiencing this, while two-thirds have sleepless nights because of it.

A survey on stress levels across the UK revealed the top 10 stressful professions, which would mean the most anxious students would face further challenges around mental health going forward:

1. HR: 79%
2. Legal: 63%
3. Retail, Catering & Leisure: 54%
4. IT & Telecoms: 53%
5. Healthcare: 52%
6. Education: 51%
7. Sales, Media & Marketing: 48%
8. Architecture, Engineering & Building: 47%
9. Finance: 46%
10. Arts & Culture: 44%

Women are more stressed than men

According to a recent wellbeing survey, 79% of UK women are stressed compared to two thirds of men, with 10% admitting their stress is ‘unmanageable’. Of the two sexes, women are more likely to stress about finances, as the gender pay gap causes women to retire on pensions that are a fraction of men’s.

Money remains a crucial factor causing worry

25-34 year olds cite money as the leading cause of stress, however research reveals that 1 in 5 adults are drowning in debt, while searches or ‘how to get out of debt’ has increased by 80%. In today’s Briton, 77% of people are stressed about money, while almost three-quarters have been so stressed they’ve felt overwhelmed and unable to cope.

Combatting Stress and Focusing on Mental Health

Poor mental health leads to burnout, fatigue, and can also result in irregular moods, feelings of anxiety and reduced focus; eventually taking its toll on relationships and physical health as well. While people turn to short term methods of coping, such as taking a day to rest and recharge, a more sustainable and healthy strategy can help deal with long-term effects.

Exercising, focusing on the present and talking about how you’re feeling, are all just a few ways to help with the effects of anxiety and concern. However, there is still a stigma around mental health that employees need to address. Offering flexible working solutions and encouraging the conversation on mental health can help encourage employees to open up when they need a mental health day.