A recent survey said that 60% of Gen Zers and 50% of Millennials cut someone out of their life in the last year. In the reasons given, many survey respondents listed reasons that had to do with conflict and disagreement.
At the same time, young adults report the highest rates of loneliness and poor mental health.
If we’re cutting out the people who stress us out, shouldn’t our mental health improve?
Liberty argues that young adults were raised in environments that eliminated friction, and that this has harmed expectations about conflict in relationships, and is harming young people today by isolating them from the people they need.
Want to tackle loneliness, anxiety, or depression in 2024? Improving mental health is a common New Year’s resolution. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, returning guest Ben Bennett of the Resolution Movement shares practical tips from brain science that can help you go from feeling pressured to feeling empowered.
Overcoming Loneliness
Ben Bennett, Director of the Resolution Movement, says that isolation is one of the biggest contributors to poor mental health, especially among members of Gen Z. But isolation isn’t just physical; Ben told Know Why. that loneliness is really a “lack of meaningful connection.”
“One of the biggest contributors to poor mental health is isolation … We need one another. We find solution and answers through one another.”
Ben Bennett
“We need one another,” he said. “We find solution and answers through one another.”
Succeeding at Goals
For many people, New Year’s resolutions can result in feelings of pressure—not good for mental health. Ben recommends focusing on the smaller steps rather than the end goal. “We’re trying to set a goal of the result, but really we need to set a goal of the steps,” Ben said.
He encouraged listeners to “keep it simple. Remember to play the long game.” And if setting goals in January doesn’t work best for you, then don’t feel pressured to do it.
No matter when one sets a goal, success is possible when new habits are formed in the brain through neuroplasticity. Listen to the episodes for more tips from Ben, including information about he overcame anxiety through retraining his brain.
More Resources
To read more about overcoming mental health struggles, see The Resolution Movement’s devotional plans available through the YouVersion app, linked below:
Ben Bennett is the Director of the Resolution Movement, a speaker, and the co-author of Free to Thrive: How Your Hurt, Struggles, and Deepest Longings Can Lead to a Fulfilling Life. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Ben talks with Liberty about his personal journey from struggling to thriving—and how both brain science and biblical truth offered breakthroughs.
Millennials and Gen Z: Hurting Like Never Before
In 2019, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems amongst their peers according to Pew Research Center.
In the last five years, some research has shown that young adults are 63 times more lonely than those over 75 years old.
Only 4% of Gen Z hold to a biblical worldview, and is historically the least religious generation in American history.
Suicide is a leading leading cause of death among young people.
Ben also noted that few pastors report feeling very well equipped to help people with their mental and emotional struggles. As someone raised in the Christian church, Ben felt this personally. As he began dealing with multiple mental health issues and addictions, he felt alone and thought he would struggle forever.
“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life.”
Ben Bennett Resolution Movement
“I had this cocktail of compulsions trying to survive, trying to deal with life,” Ben told Know Why Podcast. “I was trying everything I was hearing from Christians at the time but it just didn’t seem to work.”
Neuroplasticity: Renewing Your Mind
What Ben details in his book Free to Thrive with co-author Josh McDowell is that often, addictions, “unwanted behaviors,” and mental health struggles are humans’ attempted solutions to fill unmet longings. Everyone has ingrained longings such as acceptance. Not getting those longings fulfilled can trigger unwanted responses.
But those responses can be overcome by creating new pathways in your brain.
“Brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”
Ben Bennett Resolution Movement
“I just saw anxiety in my life go down by about 90 percent,” Ben said, “And what I realized was happening was, I was being transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2), and neuroplasticity—brain scans show that through repeated thoughts and actions, changes happen in the brain. The things you used to struggle with you no longer struggle with. New pathways are grown and developed.”
Listen to the full episode to hear Ben explain neuroplasticity more and how it helped him overcome food addiction, pornography addiction, and anxiety when the well-meaning advice of others couldn’t. Ben also challenges listeners to think differently about Christianity, even if they have experienced legitimate hurts from Christians.
“It’s not that the bad’s not bad,” he told Know Why Podcast. “It’s that the good is too good to walk away from.”
