Quarter of Americans experience burnout by 30

A quarter of Americans are burnt out before they’re 30, according to new research.A survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by Talker Research, looked at how the stress of the past decade has culminated and found that the average respondent experiences peak burnout at around 42 years old.For Gen Z and millennial adults, now 18 to 44, the highest point of their stress is occurring even younger — averaging at 25 years old.Looking at how they got here through their current stress levels, the average person is at half of their stress capacity.Yet, 42% are feeling even more stressed than this — with Gen Z and millennials feeling this more heavily than respondents belonging to Gen X or older (51% vs.37%).When asked what’s currently causing their burnout, finances were most commonly ranked as the top factor (30%).Politics (26%), work (25%) and their physical health (23%) were also significant sources of major worries for respondents.All kinds of relationships are weighing on those surveyed, with one in six of those who named their love life or their family as a stressor putting it in the top spot (18% each).Ehab Youssef, a licensed clinical psychologist, mental health researcher and writer at Mentalyc, provided insight into why stress is peaking earlier than ever.“As a psychologist, I’ve worked with clients across different generations, and I can tell you stress doesn’t look the same for everyone,” Youssef said.

“It’s fascinating — and a little concerning — to see how younger Americans are experiencing peak stress earlier than ever before.I see it in my practice all the time: twenty-somethings already feeling completely burned out, something I never used to see at that age.”“I often hear from my younger clients, ‘Why does life feel so overwhelming already?’ They’re not just talking about work stress; they’re feeling pressure from every direction — career, finances, relationships, even social media expectations.

Compare this to my older c...