Stress in youg adults
As young men grow into their twenties, a whole new environment opens up to them. One of the important facets of this age group is the desire for a healthy social life, which can manifest itself as frequent trips to the bar. Negotiating new found freedoms and responsibilities can lead to a number of stressful situations. Unfortunately, late nights and alcohol induced physical stresses on the body can wear down mental endurance. Coupled with work and bills, excess stress can compound and cause:
- Absences or tardiness at work
- Strained relationships
- Depression
- Self-medication or substance abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Anger
- Poor work performance
Once again, this is a situation which is only worsened by the tendency for men to 'tough it out' rather than discuss or even acknowledge how they're feeling.
Did you know?
The average age for men to develop mental illness is during their mid-twenties.
What can be done?
At this age, men are likely to be independent and therefore responsible for their own health. This is problematic as they may be unwilling to talk about their concerns. For this reason, it's important to not only have an active social life, but also healthy relationships. Close friends who can be counted on to listen to anxieties can be invaluable. Coworkers too, can be good in this capacity as they may be able to understand your workload or even help you with it. Other coping strategies such as reducing environmental stress (lack of sleep, poor nutrition, substance abuse) will keep your mental resilience up.
If the problems become severe, seek professional help in the form of:
- Cognitive-behavioural therapy – a psychological treatment that addresses the interactions between how we think, feel and behave
- Relaxation techniques – such as meditation, deep breathing and visualization
- Biofeedback – a process that enables an individual to learn how to change physiological activity for the purposes of improving health and performance
- Medication
Finally, look at where the stresses are coming from. If there is a particular concern or trigger, work on a strategy to avoid or mitigate such concerns.
