When Yu Bingbing, a 28-year-old market research manager, is on her way to work in central Beijing each morning, she always cannot help feeling anxious about whether she has locked the door of her apartment and turned off the gas.

"I'm usually wrestling with these feelings for the entire day," Yu said.

Working at an international pharmaceutical firm, Yu looks older than she is and her heavily made-up face always has an exhausted look.

"Since I have been promoted to a managerial position, I lose my temper with my parents and husband more frequently just because of some trivial things," she said, adding that slight wrinkles and acne on her face have irritated her even more, and even luxury cosmetics cannot help her.

"I have to work six days a week and don't even have extra off time when I'm sick," she said. "I have to push myself to become a workaholic since the competition in my company is really fierce and I also have to pay a 5,000 yuan monthly mortgage, besides saving a certain amount of money for my planned baby."

"I have to turn off the lights in the office at night, otherwise I would be replaced by other better-performing colleagues," she added.

Life is like riding on a rollercoaster for Yu and many other members of China's post-80s generation, the first generation born after the introduction of the family-planning policy and the group to benefit most from the country's opening-up policy and its booming economy.

Being the only child in their family, and without much to trouble them during their youth, most of them were taken good care of or even spoiled by their parents and grandparents.

Having such a relatively carefree youth - when this generation reached adulthood and had to cope with soaring prices, the high cost of raising children and intense competition in the workplace - they suffered a rude awakening.

According to statistics, the population of China's post-80s generation is over 200 million. The media usually refers to them as "slaves" to property, credit cards, children and marriage.

Some figures can tell the real story of this generation.

Chinese property prices in 70 cities rose 11.7 percent in March from a year earlier, up from 10.7 percent in the year to February, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

It was the tenth consecutive year-on-year rise after seven months of decline, adding to worries that a bubble is forming in the property market. Many analysts say the way the index is compiled seriously understates the degree of property inflation.

A survey by China Investment Research Consultant shows that the average expenditure on a wedding was 30,000-40,000 yuan in 2009 compared with 20,000 yuan in 2005.

Another survey by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences showed that average cost of bringing up a child in China is estimated at 490,000 yuan. But many netizens argued that it would exceed 1 million yuan in large Chinese cities.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by Modern International Market Research Co Ltd (MIMR), Sina.com and Guangzhou Daily, said that 81 percent of the post-80s generation members polled earned less than 6,000 yuan a month while the monthly salary of 52.6 percent of them was no more than 3,000 yuan. In addition, over 85 percent of them have less than 100,000 yuan in savings.

The survey of 3,313 Chinese post-80s generation members showed that 52.6 percent said they are under great pressure. Besides, 48.1 percent of them attributed this pressure to issues such as buying a home, raising children and supporting their parents.

According to the "White Book on the Health Condition of China's Urban White-Collar Workers", 76 percent of white-collar workers in China's major cities are in worse than average health, with nearly 60 percent being over-fatigued.

The survey showed that nearly 80 percent of white-collar workers in China suffer from irregular sleep and diets and feel tired every day. In addition, more than half feel irritable, 20 percent feel lonely, and more than 70 percent are unhappy.

But Xiong Hanzhong, director of Beijing Youth Stress Management Service Center, told China Business Weekly that the post-80s generation shouldn't complain too much because people of all ages have to bear the burden caused by high property prices and many other adverse factors.

Xiong said: "It is inappropriate for them to rush to get their own car or apartment as their savings are limited. Why can't they temporarily rent an apartment like many other young people in other countries?"

Members of the post-80s generation, who generally have a good educational background and also have profound insights into many issues, should be confident about their future because of their talent and potential, added Xiong.

They shouldn't underestimate their own capabilities and constantly bemoan their fate, he said.

Services at Xiong's center include stress management activities, psychological counseling, stress management training for companies and the promotion of stress management knowledge. In less than five years, the center's membership has grown to around 500.

Zhu Xiaoyu, a 25-year-old interior designer in Shanghai, squandered all her salary within 30 minuetes in a luxury shopping mall when she encountered some difficulties at work.

She was forced to ask for some money from her mother to cover her daily expenses, the second time she has had this problem in the past three months.

Tang Zhou, 29, a HR officer based in Beijing, said that in order to relieve pressure at work he plays online games or writes diaries and shares photos with his cyber friends

Lin Xin, 23, an office worker in Beijing, said she finds solace in talking to friends when she feels depressed.

Xiong said: "You'd better make sure that you won't add to the negative emotions of other people when you're complaining to them. Or, if you relieve pressure through shopping, you need to ensure that this doesn't give you greater financial burden."

If people feel relieved after shopping, buying useless items or eating and drinking to excess, then it is a sign of great pressure, he said. If you're unable to control or make adjustments, you should seek professional psychiatric help, he added.

In large cities, employees on average salaries are able to afford psychological therapy, Xiong said. "Most people can solve their problems after a few sessions, it won't cost too much."

Xiong suggested that psychological counseling should be covered by the healthcare system.

According to Tian Xiangyang, an expert at China Health Education Center under the Ministry of Health, to be mentally and physically healthy, people need to learn how to better organize their lives. This includes time management, emotional management, behavior and lifestyle management, and being more effective in handling their money.

Henry Sheng, China marketing director of Hay Group, a global management consultancy, said that employers can take some measures to help relieve the pressure on their staff, but what's more important is that employees themselves should learn how to manage their emotions and deal with stress.

(China Daily April 19, 2010)