Tess Brigham: Why Millennials Might Be The Most Burned Out of Us All

Jan 11, 2026

Tess Brigham, a psychotherapist and 'the millennial therapist', dives into why millennials experience high levels of burnout amidst financial instability and unrealistic work expectations. She reflects on her own quarter-life crisis and the societal pressures that shape this generation's relationship with success. Tess emphasizes the need for empathy across generations, highlighting how Gen Z's focus on mental health is a response to witnessing the toll of constant grind. The conversation urges listeners to reassess their paths and redefine success in a healthier way.

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ANECDOTE

Early Career Burnout And Course Correction

Tess Brigham burned out by age 27 after chasing a Hollywood dream and working unpaid internships relentlessly.
She moved home, reassessed, and later became a therapist who helps others avoid the same rush to burnout.

ANECDOTE

A Death Prompted Career Pivot

Tess received a call at 27 that her college roommate had died, which accelerated her decision to leave LA and reevaluate life choices.
The death prompted her to take forward lessons from the friendship and redirect her path.

INSIGHT

Visibility And The Always-On Work Trap

Millennials became a visible target for criticism as the first generation growing into adulthood with pervasive social media and constant critique.
That exposure plus 24/7 connected work normalized always-on expectations and increased burnout risk.

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Why do millennials seem more exhausted than everyone else, and what does that say about the world they came of age in? Cait Donovan and Tess Brigham challenge the idea that burnout is caused by laziness, entitlement, or bad time management and instead look at the conditions that shaped an entire generation’s relationship to work, money, and ambition.

Millennials were taught to chase fulfillment through work while absorbing the expectation of constant availability, rising debt, and shrinking financial stability. That combination created a version of success that looked good on paper but often felt unsustainable in real life. Burnout, in this light, reads less like a personal breakdown and more like a rational response to a system that never powered down.

The conversation also reframes generational tension as misunderstanding rather than failure. Gen Z’s boundaries and openness around mental health are not rejections of effort. They are adaptations shaped by watching what relentless grind actually costs. What looks like resistance may be awareness.

This episode asks a quieter but harder question: what happens when the path you committed to no longer fits who you are or the life you want? Burnout becomes an invitation to reassess rather than a reason for shame. Less judgment, more curiosity, and the courage to question stories about success that were never designed to hold up under the weight they now carry.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Burnout Is a Generational Issue, Not a Personal Failure

01:15 Tess Brigham on Her Quarter-Life Crisis and Early Burnout

09:25 Why Millennials Experience Burnout Differently Than Other Generations

19:26 Student Debt, Financial Pressure, and the Burnout Equation

30:11 Mental Health, Boundaries, and What Gen Z Is Doing Differently

39:03 When Burnout Signals It’s Time to Reassess Your Path

Connect with Tess Brigham:

Visit Tess' Website

Follow Tess on Instagram

Connect with Tess on LinkedIn

Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait

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