If it feels like anxiety is everywhere lately, that is not your imagination.
At NY Mental Health Center, we are seeing a striking rise in inquiries from people in their early 20s through their mid 30s. Many are high functioning, thoughtful, and motivated. They are working, studying, building relationships, and trying to plan their futures. And yet, they are overwhelmed, tense, and often exhausted by worry.
What is different right now is not just the presence of stress, but the stacking of it.
Living in a Time of Layered Uncertainty
For many people, anxiety today is coming from multiple directions at once.
There is ongoing political instability and polarization, with constant news alerts that make it hard to ever fully relax. There are global crises that feel both enormous and personal, even when they are happening far away. There is economic uncertainty that makes long term planning feel fragile, especially around housing, debt, and family decisions.
And increasingly, there is anxiety about the future of work itself.
AI has moved from a distant concept to a daily reality. People are asking real questions about whether their skills will stay relevant, whether their career paths will still exist, and whether the effort they are putting in now will pay off later. Even those who are curious or excited about technology often carry a quiet undercurrent of fear about being left behind.
When uncertainty touches politics, finances, identity, and purpose all at once, the nervous system rarely gets a break.
Why Young Adults Are Feeling It So Strongly
Early adulthood is already a time of major transition. People in their 20s and 30s are often making decisions that shape decades of their lives. Career direction, relationships, parenthood, and location all tend to converge during this period.
What we are seeing clinically is that many people feel pressure to make “the right choices” in a world that no longer feels predictable. Previous generations could often assume a clearer path forward. Today’s young adults are trying to build stability on shifting ground.
That does not mean they are fragile. It means they are responding normally to abnormal levels of uncertainty.
Anxiety Is Not a Personal Failure
One of the most important things we want people to hear is this: feeling anxious right now does not mean something is wrong with you.
Anxiety is the mind and body trying to protect you in a world that feels unpredictable. The problem is not that anxiety shows up. The problem is when it starts to run your life.
Left unaddressed, chronic anxiety can lead to sleep problems, irritability, difficulty concentrating, physical symptoms, and a sense of being constantly “on edge.” Over time, people may start avoiding decisions, conversations, or opportunities because everything feels too risky.
How Therapy Can Help in Uncertain Times
Therapy is not about pretending uncertainty does not exist. It is about learning how to live meaningfully even when the future is unclear.
At NY Mental Health Center, we help clients:
- Understand how anxiety operates in their mind and body
- Separate realistic concern from spiraling worry
- Build emotional flexibility rather than rigid control
- Develop coping strategies that actually fit their lives
- Clarify values and direction when external certainty is lacking
For some, this involves structured, skills based approaches. For others, it involves deeper work around identity, purpose, and self trust. Often, it is a combination of both.
You Do Not Have to Carry This Alone
If you are feeling more anxious than you used to, you are not alone. If you feel like the world is asking you to plan a future without giving you a clear map, you are not failing. You are human.
Support can make a real difference. Not by removing uncertainty, but by helping you feel steadier within it.
If anxiety is starting to interfere with your work, relationships, or sense of well being, reaching out for support can be a powerful first step. We are here to help you navigate this moment with clarity, compassion, and practical tools for moving forward.