Psychologist Reveals Reasons Behind Sandwich Generation Stress

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In general, people who are classified as the sandwich generation are those who are taking care of their aging parents while also supporting their own children.

The people in this group are often faced with multiple issues such as financial, health, and fulfilling the needs of oneself. This was revealed in the ‘Beko Media Briefing: Sandwich, Millenial Generation and Daily Routines,’ which was held in Jakarta not long ago.

“The sandwich generation would generally be around their 30s to 50s. Other than caring for their parents and children, they also have the need to own something that they can be proud of and later inherited to the next generation,” said Vera Itabiliana, a psychologist from the University of Indonesia.

She further elaborates that those elements are what add to their stress; “The stress of bearing various responsibilities which leads them to be stuck in a situation where there are many things to do in a short amount of time,” she explained.

The “hands-on” tendency of this generation can be potentially driven by their eagerness to be able to do multiple tasks by themselves, which is their utmost pride but also adds to their stress levels. The effects of prolonged activities mentioned above, according to Vera, could cause someone to be physically ill or worse be driven into depression.

This is why Vera advised that the sandwich generation to consider three things; be realistic, find individuals in your surrounding that can share your responsibilities, and always provide an essential ‘me-time’ where your body and mind can both relax.

AURA