I am frequently asked to comment on how Millennials view their lives. To many ‘older’ people, Millennial lives seem ‘complicated’. All those gadgets! The constant connection and 24/7 activity looks exhausting. Aren’t they overwhelmed?

After hundreds of online and face-to-face interviews with college students and young professionals over the past six months, I can confidently say that ‘complicated’ is not how Millennials describe themselves.

Gen Y says their biggest challenge is ‘busy-ness’, the sheer volume of things they want and need to do. There simply isn’t enough time to do it all. As a result, they see their lives as ‘hectic’, ‘exciting’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘fun’. However, busy-ness also is the main barrier to achieving things that are really important to them, like staying in touch with old friends, making new friends and finding time to lead a ‘balanced’ life. Here is a sample of how they think of their lives and challenges:

Moderator: Now tell us what 3 words best describe your life right now..I know this might sound weird – but just say whatever comes to mind!

Jessica S: hectic, exciting, perfect
Jason J: Dynamic, Fun, Anxious
Doug: Fun, Non-Stop and Dynamic
Lindsay J: busy, uncertain, overwhelming
Alex S: interesting, action-packed, dynamic where action-packed = busy
John C: Transition, Stress, Excitement
Mary A: exciting, fun,hard
Justin D: Margarine, content, excited.
Katie H: busy, fun, happy
Mike G: Three words that describe my life: dynamic, in-flux and wandering.

Moderator: a lot of you said “busy” – what are you mostly busy with?

Lindsay J: work, social, personal (moving)
Jessica S: everything – work is busy and family life is busy – that makes for a feeling of going non-stop – I”m also moving and getting married
Doug: Busy would entail for me…work (travel, responsibilities) and social life

Moderator: a lot of you said “exciting” – what makes your life exciting?

Mary A: new experiences everyday
Katie H: constantly running around
John C: just having a lot of fun and not sure what is coming next but it all is pretty fun and new.

Moderator: what makes your life hard or stressful?

Katie H: work and personal, wanting and trying to be in too many places all the time
Mary A: meeting new people at both places and making connections
John C: life is stressful because of trying to balance success at work with having a personal life. Work is also stressful because it seems to never end.

While finding time and achieving ‘balance’ is their biggest challenge, Millennials tell us they experience three other sources of stress:

1. Creating Meaning. Millennials yearn to make a difference. Many find it hard to do this in their work lives, so they search for ways to make a difference outside of work through volunteer work.

2. Making New Friends. Surprisingly, many post-college age Millennials say it is tough to meet new people and form meaningful friendships.

3. Meeting (High) Personal Expectations: Millennials are their own harshest critics. They are accustomed to achieving their goals, and often feel discouraged with their jobs when they don’t get the responsibility or career progress they think they are capable of.

Marketers who demonstrate an understanding and sympathy for these stressors will find it easier to engage Millennials. Brands that help them ease or resolve their challenges will earn customers for life.