It may have been all doom and gloom for a while where there were dark times. At the start we didn’t know what to expect and why would we since we were in school when this all started. During the recession, even though we were mostly oblivious to the destruction of the Celtic tiger, it became very relevant. As soon as we left school we saw the destruction for the first time, it hit home that things weren’t as they should be.
We headed off to college and the economy was heading in the right direction. Little droplets of hope started to seep through the cracks. Surprisingly our parents managed to put us through four years of college either away or at home. Of course, we all sensed the utter delight radiating from our parents upon finishing our degrees.
While we were busy at college gaining our relevant degrees, a bigger picture was being painted of an Ireland that had huge unemployment. It appeared there were little to no prospects for us college graduates. The reality of emigrating became a daily realisation for some millennial’s. With hopes aimed at finding work in places as far away as Australia.
Employers taking on a new attitude towards employment and jobs becoming more available. There may be new jobs, new companies and a lighter atmosphere. The big downside now is that employers are mostly only doing contract based roles rather than full-time time positions.
Which considering everything that has happened over the last number of years can be hard on our mental health. We start to feel divided and restricted in what we can do and where we can go. Living in fear that after six months our job that we have grown to love might not be there for us. Making our struggles with mental health, even more, prevalent, those errant thoughts of why am I not good enough. All these dark and sometimes depressing thoughts do dance around in the back of our minds like a bad song on repeat.
Yes, the recession was full of doom and gloom and some of it has leached its way into us millennials. It may not be obvious to anyone outside of our heads. That we are in fact suffering from a lot of mental anxiety about our jobs, finances and life in general. It would be fair to say that the way things are now, have really impacted us millennials more than we let on. With stressing over finding a job at an all-time high since our unemployment rates have dropped meaning there are more jobs.
If you live in Dublin you will notice the ever growing sight of cranes on the horizon of our dear capital city. An omen that the good times will make a little reappearance giving us time to relax a little. Recharge our mental health but still remaining conscious of whats to come. In the mean time, why not try and recharge your mental health in preparation of what is to come, history repeats itself after all.
Sometimes taking yourself off the grid can help recharge your mental health. I mean a weekend binge watching every Netflix show would be a great way to recharge. Even finding someone you can blurt out everything that’s bothering you does make a huge difference and Samaritans Ireland has a great service.
It can be exceedingly hard to live in our very social world and feel like we are completely alone when we have over 700 ‘friends’. But the great things about how we will live now is all the information and support that is available at our fingertips. I’m sure your best friend, Google, would be only too willing to guide you on the right path.
Talking does help and us Irish are great at talking when we have had a few drinks or a cup of strong tea. If you ever feel the need to talk to someone or even volunteer for these organisations you can be a part of giving help to those who need it the most. They say that exercise is great to boost our mental health and once a year Pieta House runs a ‘darkness into light’ campaign to encourage people to talk and seek help.
Although mental health is an extremely personal topic we would recommend talking to someone professional. Or even a professional service. We have a few that could help:
We know this sentiment has been over used but it is true that talking can help. We know that us millennials want to pretend to the world that we are ok and that everything is fine when it isn’t. But talking things through can help. If you are worried about financial security why not contact us at www.3sixty.ie for a little guidance on what to do.
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