Millennials, Are Y’all Okay?
- Ashley Peterson
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 11
Let me go ahead and ask what most of us have been thinking: Millennials, are y’all okay?And not just in a joking, meme-able way. I mean really—are we okay? Because it’s giving hard no. We’re a generation that came of age during 9/11, graduated into a recession, became “adult adults” during a global pandemic, and are now trying to make life work in the midst of digital burnout, political instability, and the rising cost of…everything.
We’ve been expected to show up, work hard, care deeply, and keep it cute—even when the systems we’re operating in weren’t built with us in mind. From the Millennial Eclectic Therapy® lens, none of this is surprising. Over the years as a millennial therapist, I’ve worked to create systems and techniques with a baseline consideration of how generational experiences have shaped us and how clinicians can use that framework to help millennials as we continue to… continue. MET® teaches us to consider context, systems, and cultural inheritance. And when you apply that to millennials, things start to make sense.
The Weight We Carry
Growing up, we were told that if we just got the degrees, kept our heads down, and worked hard, things would work out. But the reality?We’ve been navigating adulthood with record-breaking student debt, skyrocketing housing costs, and an ever-shifting workforce. On top of that, we’re living in a time where the political climate feels deeply uncertain. Every few months, a new wave of decisions threatens healthcare, bodily autonomy, voting rights, or LGBTQ+ protections. It’s exhausting. It’s discouraging. And it makes anxiety feel like a default setting.
And yet, we still push forward. We show up for work, for our families, for our clients, for our communities. But it’s not lost on us that we’re doing all this while emotionally exhausted af.
It’s Not Just You—It’s the World We’re In
From a MET® perspective, what many millennials are experiencing isn’t simply “anxiety” or “burnout.” It's a cumulative overwhelm.It’s living in a society where we followed a blueprint, only for it to change after we’ve made the investments and set our sights on “more and better”. It’s managing a nervous system that’s in constant alert mode—not because we’re broken, but because we’re responding to real and ongoing stressors.
We are not making this up.We are not being dramatic.We are not alone.
What Do We Do With All This?
I don’t believe in toxic positivity, and I won’t offer surface-level affirmations in place of support. What I will offer are tools grounded in MET®—tools that honor where you’ve been, acknowledge what you’re holding, and help bring your body and mind back to a grounded place.
1. Ground Yourself in the Present (Literally)
When the digital noise gets loud, ground yourself:
Name 5 things you can see. 4 things you can touch. 3 you can hear. 2 you can smell. 1 you can taste.
Hold an ice cube or run cold water over your hands to bring your body back to now.
Step outside barefoot if possible—feel the earth, the grass, the ground beneath you.
🧠 Pro tip: Grounding doesn’t erase the chaos. It just reminds your body that you are safe in this moment.
2. Create Digital Boundaries
Unfollow accounts that make you feel less-than.Mute or limit your news intake if it spikes your anxiety.Designate a phone-free hour before bed—your nervous system deserves that break.
3. Reclaim Your Energy
MET® encourages us to ask:What beliefs am I carrying that no longer serve me?Who benefits from me feeling unworthy or unqualified?
If you’ve internalized the idea that rest is lazy or that success only comes through struggle, challenge that. Rest is a requirement, not a reward. .
4. Reassess Relationships That Drain You
Reciprocity matters.And if a relationship—romantic, platonic, or professional—feels like it’s taking more than it gives, you’re allowed to take a step back. You’re allowed to protect your peace.
Final Thoughts: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
If you’re feeling anxious, disoriented, discouraged—you’re not failing. You’re human.
You’re navigating life in a world that is constantly shifting, and you’re doing it while unlearning patterns, healing from systems, and building something new from scratch.
Give yourself the same grace you extend to others. And when it all feels like too much, come back to your breath. Come back to your body. Come back to your truth.
Join the conversation:
Your Millennial Eclectic Therapist,
Ashley :)
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