Under pressure

A recent survey done by an insurance company revealed that 95 percent of Indian millennials undergo more stress compared to their counterparts worldwide. The WHO states 17 out of the one lakh who commit suicide are from Bengaluru, which is the highest amongst the other metro cities. This crowded IT city, with its numerous international companies and traffic snarls, is stressing out the young working population.

Rohan Kumar, an IT employee, says, “Many Indians consider the US as God and, as most of the companies in this silicon city are US-based, we adopt their work culture. We take whatever challenge is thrown at us, and are ready to handle its pressure too. That is where the stress stems from.” He explains that not everyone from the present generation is now working on something which they are passionate about. Which is why many individuals try to find an outlet for themselves by following a passion or indulging in intense physical activity.

Whereas pursuing a passion is a great way to get relief from the stress, it could also add to it, as people feel pressured to do too much with their time and energy.

“Millennials experiencing this tremendous technological shift is driving them to take up many things at a time. Physical activities, nine hours log-in time, travelling time, proper diet, work, family and acquaintances leads to multi-tasking.

Managing all at a time is common but the trauma we face is immense. As we work in the metro cities, it is hard to find peace amidst the chaos,” agrees Jibran Banday, who works with an MNC. Rohan observes, “The ones with resources and management skills are handling both things these days, which is double the pressure. Like for me, my weekdays are in office and on weekends I’m busy with my passion - food blogging. Sometimes, it is hard for me to find time for my personal space. I believe personal space helps to cure and refresh yourself so you can be a stress-free individual.”

Space is necessary but conversely, social isolation is one of the reasons for stress too. Many singles who come from other places to work in the city try hard to fill the loneliness, often in vain. And the stress of being away from family adds to the overall sense of unease. Jibran explains, “Work and stress create a communication gap between my family and myself, which is another cause for stress. I was disturbed with all the news about Kashmir as there is no source of communication with my family back home. My festive day was dull. But I tried staying optimistic, which helped me a lot.” Even those living with family in Bengaluru, face a different sort of stress. If work issues are carried back home constantly, it starts to impact personal relationships in no time. And the additional burden of living up to social commitments and keeping up with the Joneses can be stress factors too.

Psychologist Nisha Khanna says, “Metro cities are allowing migrants to live in a nuclear-family set-up, where they have to take their own decisions, manage their residence, work place and other pressures. Commuting is also a major issue in the metro cities. These are the sources of stress and one must start learning to say ‘no’ in order to create quality time because the quantity of time is limited.” She elaborates, “In this materialistic and competitive world, individuals are working, multi-tasking and progressing. But the fact to be noted here is they are not working for themselves. It is either for the purpose of family, society and earnings. The prime reasons for stress can be an imbalance between personal and professional life, list of things to achieve, and a dire lack of time and resources. To manage the stress levels, you need a mix of discipline, self-awareness and time management, as well as independence, compatibility, proper sleep and physical activities.”

Marketing agent Arun Kumar lives by these precepts. He says, “My yoga, social activities and taking a break from my phone for some time allows me some down time. After a tiring six-day work week, the seventh day needs to be relaxing, in whatever way, whether I stay home or go out. All these activities let my body and mind rest, which helps get me back to office and work with a calm attitude on Monday.”