Working with millennials

Because of the career I chose to go into after I raised my child I now work with a bunch of millennials. I'm a generation x. When they say "no worries" it makes me want to hit something. I have ptsd. I'm going to worry about anything and everything. I've had to worry about everything for a long time. Then I read them writing about "middle aged people" and I'm like "what's middle aged?"

I'm just gearing myself up for another week.

Good luck with quelling the stigma of mental illness. Nothing wrong with using kid examples to how worry is and also ptsd.

Huh? That's not what this is about at all!

When I say "no worries", I mean something along the lines of "everything is fine". I've never heard of someone having an issue with the expression "no worries", so this is new to me. Could you explain why it bothers you so much? I wouldn't worry too much if someone uses that expression...no pun intended.

Lol, it irritates me. I'd rather not explain it. I'm not worried at all by it, I'm annoyed.

I get it. I like Millenials, they have a lot of good qualities...but sometimes they also don't understand all the time us older people have put into getting where we are. I feel like they expect a high paying job right away...but then again...we told them to go to college to get a good job...then expect them to settle for $15 an hour right out of school...it's a messed up system.

One of my best friend's go-to phrases is "no worries." Which is ironic since he has a type of severe anxiety disorder. Oddly enough, he's one of the most chill people I know though. Anyway, I struggle with anxiety as well, and his laid back personality relaxes me. I get how the phrase would be irritating. Is the whole go with the flow aspect irritating, too? I think, for my anxiety, I've learned to sort of absorb that energy from other people. Indeed, all of my friends are very laid back, very type B.

Btw, I'm also a Gen Xer who works with quite a few Millennials, too

I use no worries a lot too, and it's usually in a response to someone telling me they made a mistake or need something from me last minute. And I do find that people worry about things far too much and overreact far too much... so me saying, no worries, is to let them know that their request isn't a problem or that I'm not mad at their mistake as long as they fixed it.

Usually my friend uses it in response to my apologizing for some snarky thing I said. (In reality, he probably uses it all the time, I just don't hear it)

Of the subject, but the phrase that the millennials around me tend to use which irritates me is, "Gotcha." I didn't really hear it until nursing school, when most of my classmates were younger than me. I heard it in response to my giving an explanation of something. I don't know why it is mildly irritating...sort of dismissive, maybe? Anyway. Sorry. TOTALLY off subject. Carry on.

Hmm. I have no sympathy for them.

It's ok you're on subject, I don't care why they say what they say, it's irritating. I mean I say gotcha too, but I learned to talk like that from a 50 something who claims they employed 20 somethings.

Huh. I'm a type a with ptsd so when someone tells me don't worry I want to get mad at them cuz they're wrong.

I'm in a position where I'm the subject of others and it irritates me to no end.

Generation x didn't have it too bad either and what ever generation came before x must have thought we had it easy.
My uncle walked to school, with no shoes, uphill...both ways!
Disliking 'kids these days' seems pretty normal, but imo not particularly helpful.
But you don't have to like them either, like whatever, no worries.

I see I'm off subject.
This will sound obvious, sorry, but your ptsd is your issue, not theirs. I doubt it's their intention to irritate you.

I also wanted to add to this: The younger people that you work with are not stupid - they will be able to sense that you dislike them (for whatever reason) and will likely give off bad vibes in the workplace. If you want a more pleasant work environment, an attitude change wouldn't hurt. Just some food for thought.

I'm a "boomer", love the younger people I get to work with...I think we all have a phrase, or more that irritate us. What is important is to know that we own that irritation and it really hasn't anything to do with the people, or even the phrase. I don't like "it is what it is"....because, I decided, sometimes it Shouldn't be and something needs to be done....I see it as a way of avoiding a discussion. But then, there are times a discussion is better left for another time....My mother used to hate me saying "pissed" or "pisser"....I can guess why, but she liked "hassle"... You mention "I have no sympathy for them"...could that be the issue? Your feelings...

Lol! I'm not that old and I didn't say I disliked kids these days:

Lol. The issue? My being hard?

Lol! Really?

If I say something grates on me I'm not looking to be challenged, you know? I'm looking for empathy and support not to be told I'm wrong for feeling the way I do or to be judged. I'm simply speaking of my emotions, not my attitude. I had to leave home at 18, married at 24, divorced as a mother at 29. I don't identify with these adults who are living with their parents at those ages.

It's OK if we don't identify with the people we work with. When I worked at McDonalds a few years back, I couldn't identify with the teenagers still in high school or those attending college/university. We don't all have to be in the same place in life. I just went to the job, did the work and came home. If you really have an issue with millennials, a different job may be in order. But you honestly can't avoid them in most places. :P We tend to be everywhere.

That's pretty sad that you have no sympathy for them. We told them that they had to go to college to get a good job, then they wracked up huge amounts of debt because society told them to go to school, and then we have no jobs for them when they get out of school. They are routinely disrespected and talked down to by older peers, even when they have good ideas. And they are now the largest demographic coming into have the largest discretionary income to spend.

They are also inheriting a huge national deficit, a world filled with problems that we created, and a lot of them live at home because the only jobs they can get are minimum wage, because baby boomers won't retire, and they can't afford a place on their own. They are victims of a system, it's not necessarily individually their fault.

And yes, they do have entitlement, but so do the baby boomers and gen Xers (I'm gen X).

In fact, I've seen baby boomers with more entitlement than millenials.

I think we should try to have sympathy for everyone. You don't know and can't judge someone else's personal experience.

Seesaw

Lol, a different job? Really? As always when I communicate online I fail to convey my true sentiments.

I just returned to working full time.

I'm not "looking for a different job".

I'm simply venting. I'm not looking to do a geographic. I know the key is compassion for them.

Lol. I know the solution to my anger. Look. A) I'm at the tail end of generation x. B) I do have sympathy for them although they have no empathy for me. They're afraid to be me because I've been knocked around by life. I moved out at 18 and nobody paid my way. C) I didn't come on here to feel sorry for them. I was simply stating I can not identify with or relate to them. Driving cars and going to school under the shelter of their parents roof? They have zero complaints. Not having to worry about putting food on the table, preparing it much less preparing it for their own families?

I get it, it's a pet peeve. You have PTSD, worry is part of your everyday mindset. So it just irritates you when they say that...

Check out the pet peeve thread in General Social Chat. I think you'll like it there.