Based on the 2012 report by the American Psychological Association, it has been established that Millennials are the most stressed generation. However, within the generation itself, women are likely to face more pressures compared to men. In fact, 51% of millennial women reported showing signs of stress like lying awake in bed at night, becoming more irritable, and losing motivation. For employed women, 74% feel pressured in their job and the demanding tasks can create an imbalance in their professional and personal lives. Meanwhile, 23% of working millennial women find their gender may be the reason why they are not getting ahead in their job which leads to even more stresses and anxiety.

There are simple ways for working millennial women to overcome pressures that comes with pursuing a career. From shopping to meditation, there are countless coping mechanism you can try so you don’t spiral further down into a mental and physical agony.

Treat Yourself

When that paycheck comes in, set aside a little sum of money to treat yourself with new clothes, shoes, makeup, and skincare products. Perhaps have a little feast with your family and close friends. Birthdays, marriages, and promotions shouldn't always be the only occasion to celebrate. Commemorate the little things like your friendship, good health, and other small milestones.

Nevertheless, treating yourself doesn’t always have to be done in a materialistic way. You can treat yourself by spending your free time finishing a novel you’ve always wanted to read or go people-watching in an alfresco café while enjoying a cup of good-quality cappuccino. Reward yourself with things that can put your mind at ease, away from all the tensions from work.

Pamper Yourself

With the skincare products that you’ve recently purchased, do a pampering session every weekend. Draw yourself a nice, hot bath with some exfoliating salts and apply facial masks to rid yourself of fine lines, dark eye circles, and worry lines. When you feel a bit more glamorous than usual, you can call for an appointment at your favorite massage and spa parlor to get the full package.

If money is an issue, which is understandable for all millennial women, why not create DIY scrubs, masks, and cleansers at home with no cost at all. Make use of essential oils you have already owned and add them to your homemade concoction to see successful results. These essential oils can also be used to give yourself mini massages or for aromatherapy. Aromatherapy revolves around a practice that utilizes extracted natural oils, or essential oils, to stimulate different brain functions. It can also promote holistic healing by letting the skin and bloodstream absorb the essential oil to restore the health of the entire body.

Improve Yourself

Improving yourself can be achieved in two ways: physically and mentally. To enhance your physical self, get a gym membership, go on a daily jog, sign up for fitness classes, or invest your time in yoga. It’s been proven that physical exercise can help reduce your stress because it produces endorphins, a chemical found in the brain that can act as a natural painkiller. Even though many millennial women struggle with body image and find it stressful, you don’t always have to exercise for aesthetic reasons. Do it because you know you’ll feel better afterwards thus improving your physical and mental state at one go.

Regular meditation and aromatherapy can further improve one’s mental state as it trains your brain to focus on the good things instead of the bad. Through meditation, you can learn to pay no more attention to small things that might have caused you stress in the first place like caring about what others say or focusing on unnecessary drama within your friend group or colleagues.

Motivate Yourself

If you still can't get yourself out of that rut, think about all the reasons why you do what you do. Sure, many of us pursue a career for financial stability but that shouldn't be the sole reason why you work 40 hours per week. As a matter of fact, financial and money issues are the number one source of stress for women. For some, financial stability can lead to other things like more chances to travel, experience new cultures, or to save up for the future. Others may work to find enlightenment.

As the idea of feminism steadily evolves, women are seeking more than just financial stability. Some aim to minimize wage gap, bring about equal opportunities, and promote intersectionality among women from different races and backgrounds. As said before, many women find it difficult to advance in their career due to their gender. Instead of letting this be a source of stress, it can be a way to drive yourself to promote change in your working environment.

Make Peace with Yourself

Sometimes, a little bit of stress can actually be beneficial for you. If channeled in the right way, it can be a fuel so you can be more productive and achieve more job rewards. Try to make a note and list down all the things that might stress you out, both directly and indirectly. You can either avoid the problem or come to a compromising solution as avoidance won’t always solve the matter. Decide which coping mechanism works best for you and implement it daily or weekly.

Keep in mind that you will encounter stressful situations wherever and whenever. What matters is how you take care of yourself during those trying times. At the end of the day, the things that you worry about today might not be of importance to you in the following days, weeks, months, and it definitely won’t matter in the next few years.

These five tips may and may not work for different women. If you find yourself not getting anywhere better with these methods, contact your loved ones for a friendly advice or if needed, seek for professional help. Given the fact that there is an entire generation experiencing more stress than others, there is no shame in looking for external guidance. Once you’ve accepted that stress will always follow strong, independent, working millennial women, dealing with it and keeping it at bay will be a breeze.