Why millennials are still living with their parents

Natalie Maciak is 35, studying her third degree, and lives at home with her parents. She is one of many millennials struggling to get ahead. This is why the generation is battling.

One in four millennials feel overburdened amid struggles to manage a work-life balance, new research shows.

Many say they are constantly overwhelmed by career demands, family responsibilities and social expectations, data from News Corp Australia’s Growth Distillery has revealed.

And millennials – born between 1981 and 1996 – are the generation with the lowest number of people to turn to for support in times of need (3.9 compared to 4.8 for boomers).

News Corp has launched the Can We Talk? campaign, in partnership with Medibank, to help Australians discuss their mental health and drive more government support.

When 35-year-old Natalie Maciak was growing up, she envisioned a life many of us want – being in a loving partnership, working in a job she enjoys and, perhaps, having a family. Like other millennials, she thought that hard work led to success. However, it didn’t quite pan out that way, despite Ms Maciak ticking all the boxes.

“I feel there is a pressure to have life figured out by a certain age – career, family, homeownership,” the Melbourne woman said.

“Seeing my peers achieve those milestones makes me feel like I’m falling behind.

“It’s hard not to compare myself, and that constant pressure to be further along is emotionally exhausting.”

Natalie Maciak with her dog Freya. Picture: Josie Hayden

On to her third degree, in nursing, after studying arts and screen and media production, Ms Maciak has found it difficult to balance her personal life with academic and career goals.

Because her nursing placements are unpaid, she has been forced to move back in with her parents, further eroding her independence.

“Financial independence feels like an ongoing obstacle when my focus is constantly divided between study, placements, personal challenges and trying to plan for the future,” Ms Maciak said.

“The high cost of living makes even basic independence hard to achieve, especially while studying or working in lower-paid fields.

“Career paths aren’t linear anymore – I’ve already had to retrain after two degrees.

“To make matters more complicated, I don’t find nursing fulfilling, but I feel stuck.

“After two years of studying it, I feel like I’m forced to finish, even though I’d rather pursue something that excites me more. It’s all so emotionally exhausting.”

Ms Maciak isn’t alone.

Carly Dober, from the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, said it was financially more difficult now than it was for previous generations.

“One of the main psychological factors that can hinder development or progression is stress, including financial stress,” she said.

She said governments needed to focus on policies to help millennials and younger generations feel as supported as their parents were.

She added social media had construed a false reality for many people.

“Humans tend to engage in an upward social comparison, which we know is very damaging to self-esteem and mental health, and social media is a prime medium for this to occur,” Ms Dober said.

This view is also borne out in Growth Distillery data, which found that social media fuels daily stress, especially when individuals compare themselves to others.

“Millennials tend to be marrying and pairing off later in life compared to previous generations, if they choose to do so at all; buying property later, if they even are in the eventual position to do so; having children later, if they choose to; and typically exploring multiple career paths due to the systemic changes in the job market and economy,” Ms Dober said.

Her advice was for young people to not compare themselves to others.

“Saving for a house may take a decade, so make time for hobbies that make you happy,” she said, adding that maybe renting forever wasn’t a bad thing.

“The truth of the matter is that there is no one way that life should be lived, and there are different life paths for different people.”

For Ms Maciak, an “ideal” adulthood means living independently, having a job that feels meaningful, and being financially stable enough to live comfortably.

“I’d love to have the freedom to make spontaneous decisions without needing to explain myself to my parents,” she said.

“Ideally, I’d also have a solid group of friends to spend time with and a balance between career and personal life that allows me to grow emotionally and socially.

“I think adulthood should be seen as a lifelong, flexible journey, not a strict list of things to achieve.

“Success should be about growing as a person and building meaningful relationships – not just ticking off old-fashioned milestones.”

Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, helping Australian families better tackle mental wellbeing. To follow the series and access all stories, tips and advice, visit our new Health section.