Stress is the new normal—and how to cope with it

Regardless of which generation they were born into, all employees today say their stress levels on the job have increased significantly since last year. 

According to Entrepreneur, this was the result obtained by online learning company Udemy which did a study of 1,000 full-time employees consisting of up-and-coming millennials, veteran Generation X-ers, and soon-to-retire Baby Boomers. About 60 percent of these respondents also admitted that they feel stressed all the time without or very little respite. The millennials, however, have had it worse than their mentors and older colleagues, with their stress levels higher than the first two.

Interestingly, the usual reasons that account for job-related stress, such as family responsibilities and career advance, are not the same factors that trigger the anxiety. The respondents point to two “larger-than-life” issues that cannot be addressed by any single corporation or employer. The first stress factor is the fear that they will soon be replaced by intelligent machines or AI.

How do we cope with stress? (Source)

Although all three demographics feel concern about this, millennials rated higher than usual in this point; they think that as the newbies in the organization, they would be the first to let go should machines take over. The second reason for the stress of all the respondents is the uncertain political climate which causes a lot of instability. Unforeseen events such as Brexit, widespread terrorist attacks in the western hemisphere, and the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s on the economy depict a fluctuating world where finances, well-being, and employment are no longer secure.

Related to this scenario are the other factors that also trigger stress. All these employees feel overwhelmed at the speed by which job skills are changing. They also admit that the pressure to learn more skills and competencies weighs heavily on them. Many of them invest in their own professional development, but would rather have their own employers provide them the training that will enable them to keep up with the pace of changing technology and work processes. To cope with stress, they also engage in physical activities and exercise. A third option is to seek counseling and therapy.