The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for most of us in one way or another.   

Elderly folks worry about contracting the virus, middle-aged people are concerned about job security and our young people are worried about the future.   

A recent poll from Ipsos for RBC Royal Bank found "young Canadians aged 14-29 are worried about the long-lasting impacts on their future, with significant decreases in the proportion who believe that they can get their dream job." 

The report states the "lack of optimism about the future can trigger a vicious cycle of job dissatisfaction and underemployment, which in turn exacerbates already poor mental health." 

The poll found 51% of young Canadians say, "the pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health" with 45% saying "the pandemic has negatively impacted their optimism for the future." 

The study concludes this "sense of pessimism among younger generations will have long-lasting implications, as it affects their self-esteem, satisfaction with life and work productivity even after the pandemic is behind us." 

We've heard getting vaccinated is the light at the end of the tunnel.  Perhaps it's just the first light.