Recent studies have unveiled a concerning trend among Australian workers under 30, particularly women, indicating a significant lack of resilience. It underscores the urgent need for action from companies to support their younger workforce, according to mental health expert, Niki Saks.

The 2023 Global Resilience Report identified that women under 30 exhibit significantly lower resilience (the ability to manage and ‘reset’ after difficult situations) than their male counterparts.Lagging in areas such as tactical calm during stress and bounce back. There are many areas that women under 30 demonstrate lower resilience, namely; trust, purpose and emotional agility.

Saks suggests in her new book, 'Hiding in the Open: Living Sensitively', that societal overcompensation in childhood has resulted in a generation of adults lacking basic coping mechanisms. This deficiency, she argues, has led to a rise in anxiety and a decrease in confidence among Gen Z and millennial workers.

"Resilient people have a way of just being flexible when the situation changes. Rather than becoming crippled by fear or wishing and complaining that things were different, they set about changing the one thing they have control over, themselves," Saks says.

“The challenge is that as a society we stopped building resilience in our children by over-compensating for their challenges and not actually knowing how to manage disruption ourselves.This gave them a false sense of security and comfort. “As a result, adults don’t have the basic capacity to cope when things don’t go their way. Resilience is about dealing with negative experiences, better. It’s about being realistic with your expectations and allowing yourself to be flexible with the possible conclusions. “It would be beneficial for businesses to urgently address the need to support their Gen Z and millennial workers with building their capacity for resilience. This will reduce their anxiety and build confidence. It is something we all should do as well as individuals. Ultimately how we interpret and manage a situation will influence the favourability of the outcome.”