Psychological well-being is important to Generation Z

07/02/2024 • Customer news

A national survey on the life and health habits of twenty-year-olds conducted by the Hello Twenty platform of the Galenika company showed that maintaining psychological well-being is a challenge for young people. This means, first of all, time for themselves, a sufficient amount of sleep and limitation of external factors, especially the influence of technology. Fatigue and tiredness are perceived as the main problem for 39% of young people, most of whom are women; common colds are a problem for 31% of them, while depression and anxiety are a problem for 23% of young people.

Research on the lifestyle habits of twenty-somethings conducted by the socially responsible platform Hello Twenties showed that health is becoming an increasingly complex challenge faced by young people. This means negative external factors, as well as less and less time for themselves and their loved ones. Excess stress and lack of sleep are what young people complain about the most, while at the same time, they believe that working on themselves, getting enough sleep and reducing external influences can directly improve the quality of their lives.

They walk more and take care of their diet, but they lack sleep

Twenty-four percent of respondents believe that they take care of their health, while 47% try to take care of it. Most of them have introduced changes towards themselves and their health in the previous year - in this sense, the respondents point out that they have introduced more movement (63%), more care about nutrition (53%), playing sports or physical activity (40%, of which the majority are men), as well as lower alcohol consumption (35%).

Insufficient quality sleep, proper nutrition, being in nature, and achieving a balance between work and free time are the younger generation’s biggest problems. However, these same young people successfully manage to quit smoking (48% of them said they don't smoke), consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables (76%) and engage in physical activity (56%).

On the other hand, the majority of young people perform systematic examinations only when they have to because of college or work (25%), 21% of them go for examinations once a year, and 17% do not go at all. Even 30% of them consider themselves careless in this sense, stating that they do not take enough care of their health, and when it comes to those who try to take care of their health, more than half of them are women, a total of 52%.

Working on yourself and your mental health is a challenge

The clear message of the majority is that they do not have enough time to devote themselves and be at peace with themselves, which is one of the basic conditions for psychological well-being. Although they understand the importance of sleep for mental health, young people often cannot establish a normal sleep regime. Also, they try to use the phone or computer as little as possible before going to bed, which directly affects the quality of sleep.

When they realize that there is a problem that impairs their mental health, more than half of the respondents turn to a professional (53%), followed by a friend or a close person (37%), while 25% do not turn to anyone.

A significant challenge for young people is also anxiety, which is more often faced by women. As periods of intensified anxiety, they cite situations when they need to make important life decisions, such as enrolling in college, as well as unpleasant situations such as large crowds. Young people generally solve this problem with a couple of visits to a professional or apply their own techniques. Sometimes, with the advice of a doctor, taking medication is one of the solutions, but it is considered the last option.

Lack of concentration

As one of the psychological problems, young people cite burnout, but in general, they highlight problems with concentration, especially during exam periods. Although they are aware that more rest, meditation or sleep will help them feel better, they mostly turn to traditional methods - coffee or energy drinks, sometimes chocolate. Also, among the factors that affect their concentration are a balanced diet, as well as socializing with friends, which gives them a break.

The Hello Twenties platform conducted a survey on the lifestyle habits of twenty-year-olds on a sample of 600 respondents from all over Serbia in the period January-February 2024. The target group was young people aged 19 to 25, as well as the population aged 26 to 30.