It’s late at night; the light from the screen illuminates his face. Or hers. Or ours. A 35-year-old watching yet another online seminar, trying to add one more certification to his already packed resume. In the background, you might hear a a child's cry or the «good night» from a partner who went to sleep alone. Or maybe he’s alone, too. And that, in a way, feels even heavier, while at the same time, an email notification from work reminds you that the day isn’t over yet. In fact, it never ends.
This is a snapshot of an entire generation. A generation that learned that education is the key to a better future, that invested years, money, effort, and hopes in its academic and professional development. And yet, today, this generation finds itself anxious, exhausted, full of questions and uncertainty. How is it possible that they have all the «supplies» and still feel like they're struggling every day just to stay afloat? Because, even though they seem to have degrees, qualifications, and do everything «correct», lives a life on a knife's edge because of stress.
Somewhere in my resume, among my certifications and skills, I’m also listed as a philologist. I’m most acutely aware of this when the Panhellenic Exams are approaching. Not to give advice—who am I, after all, to talk about «recipes for success»; But why is it that every May I get this feeling? An old, familiar anxiety.
The Era of the Many «Musts»
Today’s 35- to 45-year-olds grew up surrounded by promises—such as that if they studied hard, went to college, and earned degrees, they would have a better life. They were the first generation to enter the digital age with a bang—they went to school without the internet but attended college with email. Their childhoods were marked by the Olympics, the «golden ages», the idea of Europe as a ticket to security—but the adult life that awaited them turned out to be completely different.
In 2008, the first wake-up call came, bringing with it an economic crisis, unemployment, and budget cuts. Many saw their degrees amount to nothing. Studying abroad became a line on a resume, but not a professional asset. The pressure, however, didn’t stop there. The «You have to go to college» became «You have to gain experience,», then «»You need to specialize", then «You have to adapt». I have to. I have to. I have to…
The syndrome of «good kid» It didn't stop in adolescence. It came of age along with our generation and learned to say «yes» in almost everything. Running to seminars after work. Earning certifications in her sleep. Working even more, always more, because «That's what the market wants». The accumulation of qualifications has become a trap, since there are never enough. There is always something else that «It will give you a head start». A master's degree. A language. A second career. In the midst of this marathon, personal life is put on hold. Friends become a luxury. Free time becomes a source of guilt. And mental health… just another neglected aspect of life.
Life on a Knife's Edge
This generation came of age learning that work is everything, but today, many don’t even have that. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s also the cost of living. Rents that feel like a mortgage payment, food prices that fluctuate throughout the week, children who need tutoring, parents who need care. How can you get by on €900? How can you make plans when you don’t know if you’ll still have a job next month?;
Amid this pressure, relationships become fragile, because when you’re carrying the burden of insecurity, it’s hard to be there for the other person. Stress leads to withdrawal. Conversations revolve around «how we’re going to make it through the month,» not “how are you?” Emotional availability is exhausted before it even has a chance to exist. And so, loneliness grows. Not by choice, but out of exhaustion. And when all of this is overwhelming you, where can you find space for your mental health? We don’t talk easily about our anxiety. Nor about our sadness, nor about the feeling of inadequacy that overwhelms us. Many hide it. Some carry it silently until they break. Statistics show an increase in cases of anxiety, depression, and burnout among people aged 35–45. But «All right, guys, go run while you're still young» It can be heard coming from someone in the distance. And the idea of retirement is smiling slyly from behind…
Virtual Success and Real Exhaustion
When you don’t have time to live, you turn to images. And social media is full of images of a kind of success that rarely exists in reality. You know the guy who posted a picture of his award?; He had three panic attacks this month. The friend who traveled abroad for work? She hasn't been sleeping properly for months. The old classmate who wrote «Do I feel grateful?»; Maybe it isn't. Maybe he wrote it just to convince himself. The idealized image creates a vicious cycle where everyone pretends to be succeeding, and no one dares to admit that they’re not. The exhaustion becomes invisible. Comparison is inevitable. And so, every day, the anxiety grows. Because your resume doesn’t look like theirs. Because you didn’t get a promotion. Because you feel left behind, like a failure, alone.
Life revolves around the «»What else can I do to prove that I'm worthy?". And the answer is always «something else». Nobody says «Stop». No one says: «You're already enough». For people aged 35–45, time is the first thing to go. There’s no time for hobbies, for going to the movies, or for a walk with no particular purpose. There’s no free time. There’s time for survival. And that’s not called life. It’s called functioning.
Prior to that, the «Panhellenic Exams»
In a few days, the Panhellenic Exams will begin, and thousands of students will sit at their desks with the weight of an entire life on their shoulders, hoping that «If I get through, I'll go ahead» and the belief that this is the first step toward «to become someone». Perhaps the harshest lie we have inherited—and are now passing on—is that there is one and only one path to success. Perhaps what we need most is not new generations of “elites,”, but generations that can breathe, find joy, and fail without falling apart—generations that do not measure their worth in college admission scores.
Because no grade is more important than peace of mind. No degree is worth more than balance, and if there’s one thing we should tell the kids who are just starting their own journey, it might be that
You don't have to prove that you're worthy. You're already worthy. The "anxiety generation" is the generation that made «what was necessary». And yet, instead of security, she found herself in a life full of exhaustion, uncertainty, and comparison. Instead of success, she got exhaustion. And the worst part? They’re asking her to keep going. To run some more. To endure some more. To not complain.
Perhaps it's time to pause. To ask ourselves what success really means anymore.
We need new definitions for the «I'm fine.». We need a culture that strives for balance, not overachievement. Because at some point, we have to stop living on the edge. And if not us, then certainly those who are frantically preparing for exams. And perhaps they will, at last, build a more balanced life than ours.
