11 Real Reasons Millennials Are Too Tired To Function But Too Broke To Take A Break
Millennials aren't just burnt out. They're also under constant pressure to ignore it.
Gustova Svetlana / Shutterstock Many millennials are currently facing unrealistic expectations and workplace burnout to a higher degree than people from other generations. In fact, a survey from Aflac found that "66% of millennials report moderate or high levels of burnout," followed by Gen X at 60%, Gen Z at 56%, and baby boomers at just 39%.
However, many of the real reasons millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break are more nuanced than simple things like workplace stress or poor coping mechanisms. Rather, they’re more structural and societal. From navigating a lack of community to combating the negative effects of social isolation in today’s digital age and trying to plan their futures in a tumultuous economy, millennials are facing truly difficult institutional barriers to stability and success.
Here are 11 real reasons millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break
1. Expectations are high, but wages are low
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Many millennials are battling with unfulfilled promises about following a traditional track to success. They’ve been pressured throughout their early adult years by parents, educators, and peers to stay consistent, go to college, get a good job, and work hard, only to be met with a lack of sufficient compensation and job instability.
According to the World Economic Forum, wages have fallen by nearly 50% for millennials, explaining why many still aren’t able to fulfill these dreams, succeed to the same degree as their parents, and, in some cases, move out on their own, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center. They’re mentally exhausted from managing financial instability, constant stress, and never being able to achieve the unrealistic expectations they’ve seen online and from their parents.
2. They’re struggling with purpose
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Many millennials grew up in households where finding meaning and passion was key. They were told to find their ideal job, pursue their passions, and dream big, but now, in adulthood, they’re being mocked for doing exactly that. The hustle culture their parents and older co-workers routinely feed into disregards purpose, urging people to overwork themselves and pursue boisterous careers for the sake of making money and being loyal to a company.
According to a Deloitte survey, the majority of millennials would take a job where they felt a sense of purpose, even if it meant taking a pay cut. However, grappling with expectations and toxic social norms, many are stuck working in jobs that have little of both, tired from overworking an unfulfilling job, while still struggling to pay for basic necessities.
3. They’re pressured to feel guilt for resting
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Even if they do have the free time to rest or the PTO to spend unwinding, many millennials still face societal and workplace pressures to be productive 100% of the time. Whether it’s refusing to take their sick time, making their hobbies side hustles, or being forced to take on second and third jobs for a stable income, it’s one of the real reasons why millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break.
They don’t need another “hack” for maximizing their free time or self-care routines. They need a stable salary and a workplace culture that supports and celebrates them for caring for their physical and mental health and doesn’t pressure them into feeling guilty for taking time off.
4. They lack community
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Burnout recovery coach Bethany Sadler-Jasmin argues that part of the reason why millennials feel consistently exhausted and burnt out is because they lack community in their personal and professional lives. They not only feel left behind, endlessly competed against, and pressured by their peers and leaders at work, but they also struggle to make genuine connections and bond with new people in their personal lives.
From feeling disconnected from their literal neighbors, to grappling with social isolation and loneliness from their cell phones, and missing out on “third places” — community events and spaces that don’t have a financial, social, or personal barrier to entry — millennials are feeling too tired to function because they’re never offered a chance to recharge.
5. Their jobs are too stressful
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With more job instability than ever, it’s not surprising that more than 84% of workers have overwhelming work-related stress, according to a survey from The American Institute of Stress. However, it’s genuinely multifaceted for millennials, because it’s not just worries about losing their job or being able to move up the corporate ladder. For many, that’s not even a real concern. It’s also about having a livable salary, finding purpose, combating burnout, affording things like healthcare, and planning for the future.
It’s one of the real reasons millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break. They feel pressured to overwork themselves and maintain unhealthy boundaries in their jobs, but are yearning for a sense of stability, community, and work-life balance that feels impossible to achieve.
6. They’re too plugged into the news
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With internet and social media accessibility to world events and news headlines, many millennials are growing burnt out from being constantly bombarded by the worst-of-the-worst stories. They’re not only grappling with stress and instability in their own lives, they’re also taking on the emotional and physical workload of other people across the nation and world.
Especially considering younger generations are far more likely to advocate and take action against societal issues and news, like climate change, according to the Pew Research Center, they’re also more likely to face the mental, physical, and emotional backlash this engagement prompts in our current society.
They’re too plugged into the news, whether they like it or not, and it’s becoming one of the real reasons millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break.
7. They can’t afford to live alone
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According to a study from the Pew Research Center, millennials today are much more likely to live at home or with family members compared to 50 years ago today and not necessarily by choice. Whether it’s insurmountable student loan debt, rising rent costs, or stagnant wages holding them back, many young people are facing financial instability that’s forcing them to live at home or with roommates.
Of course, it’s possible to find space and time to unwind and recharge even when you live with other people, but for millennials navigating their adult lives, it can feel invasive, stressful, and occasionally annoying to have to share space, especially when it’s not a choice. For the millennials who can afford to live alone, it’s still an emotional battle between loneliness and isolation — is having your own living space worth missing out on the consistent social interaction and support a roommate brings?
8. Their hobbies have become side hustles
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According to experts from UCLA Health, having a hobby and investing in your alone time can have a range of personal, emotional, and mental health benefits, especially in a chaotic and stressful routine. However, if you’re pressured into constantly being “available” and “productive,” like many younger generations are, these hobbies can quickly transform for the worse.
For example, many millennials have had little choice but to transform their hobbies into side hustles that serve as an additional stream of income. While it may solve a few financial binds, it can sabotage the restfulness and peace that hobbies typically provide, making millennials feel even more burnt out and stressed, without other means to bring in extra money.
9. They’re struggling with student loans
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Despite promises from their parents and society that pushed them to go to college or pursue higher education in the first place, many millennials are struggling to cope with the weight and burden of their student loans — especially considering many of their degrees aren’t paying off in the way they’d hope in the job market.
Not only have they become nearly impossible to afford month-to-month, on top of rising rent costs and inflationary pressures on everyday essentials, they’re also keeping younger generations from building wealth and saving money, according to a Bankrate survey.
They’re struggling to keep their head above the water and truly make change or plan for the future alongside student loan debt, which is why it’s one of the real reasons millennials are too tired to function but too broke to take a break.
10. They’re becoming caregivers
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Like their Gen X parents and baby boomers, many millennials are now part of a sandwich generation between their aging parents and children, starting to take on the burden of raising their kids while also caring for their older parents.
Especially as they continue to get older, still struggling with finances and in some cases still living at home, that burden only grows more important and pressing, burning them out and adding stress to their lives.
11. They can’t afford healthcare
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From affording mental health resources like therapy, to getting their necessary medications, and even affording preventative and emergency care, many millennials are struggling to truly care for themselves in the face of financial uncertainty.
From a mental health perspective, being unable to go to therapy or seek out free services only makes the emotional turmoil of their stress, anxiety, and burnout that much worse. And on the physical side, illness and issues that go untreated surely don’t help.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
