Experts share their tips for how to encourage the next generation to handle stress better and earn a living in the real world.

It can be tempting to write Generation Worry off as
“snowflakes” lacking a necessary “stiff upper lip”. But is this fair?

“You’ve got to admit there are so many unique pressures young people face today,” says Briony Benjamin, cancer survivor and author of Life Is Tough (But So Are You).

“We live in a crazy time where wars unfold in real time on our social media feeds. Throw in a global pandemic, a cost of living crisis, a looming climate catastrophe and it’s extremely understandable that young people are struggling and their mental health is suffering.”

Essentially, she believes we need to cut the young some slack, but also encourage them to build stronger resilience.

Richard Reid, a psychology expert and coach, points out: “Pressure at work is unavoidable. The key is to make this motivating and not let it tip into crippling anxiety.”

So how do we encourage the next generation to handle stress better and be able to earn a living in the real world?

Here are the expert tips.

Take it step by step

“When I was told I had cancer at 31, I fell apart,” explains Benjamin. “My specialist told me not to get too far ahead of myself. To stop myself feeling overwhelmed, he suggested I focus on the next few things. It was excellent advice for all areas of life.”

For anyone tempted to call in sick because they can’t face the day ahead, “just think about arriving, getting to lunchtime, then the end of the day, then the end of the week”, she says. “Everything starts with showing up. You don’t have to do everything today but you need to make a start.”

Get proper sleep

“In my work I speak with lots of groups of young people and students and I always ask ‘Hands up if you got eight hours’ sleep last night?’ In a room of hundreds, I’ll be lucky if I get half a dozen hands in the air,” says Benjamin. “Young people don’t seriously appreciate the connection between a lack of sleep and poor mental health.”

Other obvious but equally crucial piece of advice is a reminder that overdoing caffeine ramps up anxiety. As does nicotine and hangovers.

Put your phone down

“We’re all addicted to our devices, but no one has ever come away from a long social media binge and thought – ‘oh wow I feel so refreshed and uplifted’,” says Benjamin. “My life changed when I began leaving my phone out of my bedroom at night. My anxiety reduced and I learned how to rest properly. Scrolling Instagram and bingeing Netflix is not relaxing for your brain.”

Write it down

The idea of “journalling” might have the Boomer generation rolling their eyes in horror, but really it’s just writing down worries before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning to keep them off your mind.

“Putting pen to paper doesn’t sound particularly game-changing, but journalling does give a sense of calm and clarity,” says Benjamin. “Research shows that it boosts memory and also strengthens the immune system and helps confidence. Writing is an organisational process which helps order your thinking and process events instead of being stuck in a loop.” If a meeting didn’t go well or you row with a relative or partner, get it all out of your system on paper. Much better than holding it on or moaning to a third party, which you might regret.”

Keep a sense of perspective

“Reassure young people that ups and downs in life are completely normal, no one is positive all the time,” says Reid. “A bad day might leave you feeling you got something wrong, yet the only way to improve is to actively take on hard challenges. That way you keep learning and improving, then confidence grows and overtakes anxiety. Try and reframe ‘mistakes’ as learning experiences that most older people have already made and learned from themselves.”

Accept criticism is part of life

“Look, no one ever really enjoys being criticised – but ‘toughening’ up is part of growing up,” says Reid. He suggests listening carefully, and graciously, if your boss is asking you to do something differently to what you’ve offered. “Try repeating it back to the person to make sure you’ve understood it fully,” he says. For example, say ‘So you’d like me to prioritise finishing task A instead of starting task B, is that correct?’ It’s easy to panic and not hear things clearly. Try not to take it personally or emotionally but see it as constructive. Tell yourself it’s a favour they’re giving, instead of a telling-off.”

Why going to work will actually help

“Anxious people might feel they can’t leave home, but going to work can actually help,” says Reid. “If you call in sick you’re delaying the problem, not facing it, and working from home in your PJs won’t put you in the right frame of mind. Anxiety makes us more paranoid, imagining people are criticising us, and dark thoughts can spiral.”

A five-minute gossip in the queue for coffee might help you relax, he suggests, and the work will distract you from what’s on your mind. “You’ll see colleagues are human who can make mistakes too. Don’t be scared of asking peers for advice; a great advantage of office life is having access to their experiences,” says Reid.

He suggests asking directly: “What is the best way of doing this task efficiently? I’d like some guidance.”

“Older colleagues can offer support, advice and feedback; they too will have felt like you at some point.

“By the end of the day you will feel proud that you made it in, hopefully realising ‘that wasn’t so bad’ and feel better going in the next day.”

Set boundaries – then switch off

“Unless they’re very urgent, or being contacted out of hours is a crucial part of your job, don’t reply to emails and calls after work hours,” says Reid. “Before you reply, think ‘Do they really need to know this now?’ Chances are they don’t.

“If messages popping up on your phone cause anxiety – switch off notifications and put your working hours on your email signature,” he says. “Young people have the dread of being ‘left unread’ thanks to WhatsApp. Remind them it’s not the same in the work world; you have to be professional but not always available.”

This article originally appeared in the Telegraph UK