Here’s What Millennials Really Think About Aging and Stress
Photo: Trunk Archive
Feeling stressed? You must be a Millennial.
According to a new survey of 1,000 women between ages 18 and 40, 41% of women report feeling stressed for at least five days each week. What’s more, a whopping 58% of respondents say they feel more stressed than their parents were at the same age. Essentially, this generation is one big ball of stress.
The study, conducted by Wakefield Research to coincide with the launch of Elizabeth Arden’s Flawless Future skin care, also looked at Millennials’ attitudes toward aging.
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On average, if they had to choose to look the same age forever, they’d like to look like their 24-year-old selves. The age when they thought they’d start to look “old”? Forty-four, on average. For many of these women, aging is scary stuff: A majority said that looking 10 years older would be worse than gaining 10 pounds.
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None of these findings are exactly a shock, considering our culture’s obsession with youth. But it is telling that Millennials report such high levels of stress, especially bceause this isn’t the first survey to find as much; a 2012 report from the American Psychological Association found that Millennials are more stressed than any other living generation. Considering the challenging circumstances Millennials face — high housing costs, student loan debt, and a less-than-thriving job market — that makes sense.
The silver lining: According to the Arden survey, 51% of all respondents said their most stressful age was in their 20s. So, while Millennials might feel high levels of pressure at the moment, they’re likely to grow into a calmer, more mellow state over time.
