A new survey conducted by Cosmopolitan suggests that the current generation of women may be experiencing a generational burnout tied to anxiety and stress stemming from work.
Almost 71 percent of participants said that they had experienced an anxiety or panic attack, according to The Telegraph. Furthermore, approximately three-quarters of participants said that they regularly felt a lack of motivation, and over half of the 750 participants said that they are obsessive over work, even after-hours.
"In the past, burnout happened in jobs that involved working with people - occupations such as teaching, social work or nursing - but now it has expanded beyond the caring professions," said Cary Cooper, a professor of organizational psychology and health at Manchester Business School. "The pace of life, work overload, job insecurity and increasingly high expectations of us mean more and more people are becoming burnt out."
Approximately one-third of the women surveyed said that they believe their jobs are "very" or "extremely" stressful, and these beliefs reflected negatively in their lifestyle. Forty-four percent said that they had consumed alcohol alone in order to cope, and 71 percent said that they either over-ate or under-ate to cope.
"Physical signs depend on the person," said Cooper. "You may get more colds, smoke or drink more, eat more or less, or suffer gastrointestinal problems."
The Cosmopolitan survey isn't the only recent research that points to this conclusion, as figures from the U.K.'s 2014/2015 Health and Safety Executive found that the number of women experiencing work-related stress is approximately 50 percent higher than men in the same age range, suggesting that this phenomenon may be occurring in women around the world.
