Are people in Kazakhstan really less stressed, or have they learned to live with it?

How stressed are people in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan appears to be doing relatively well when it comes to self-reported stress, at least according to international surveys.

The State of the Global Workplace 2026 report, published by Gallup using data collected in 2025, found that 14% of employees in Kazakhstan reported experiencing significant stress during much of the previous day.

The figure is considerably lower than the global average of 40% and the 21% recorded across the post-Soviet Eurasia region.

Gallup’s historical data also shows a gradual decline in the country’s workplace stress indicator, from 19% in 2020 to 14% in 2025. However, the figures are based on three-year rolling averages rather than individual annual measurements.

The results suggest that employees in Kazakhstan report less daily stress than their counterparts in many other countries. But does that necessarily mean they experience less psychological pressure?

A separate consumer confidence study conducted by Freedom Finance Global provides a more detailed picture of how people experience stress in everyday life.

The study, which surveyed 3,600 adults across Kazakhstan in each monthly wave, found that between 9% and 11% of respondents reported experiencing stress every day during 2024.

Meanwhile, between 43% and 48.6% said they encountered stressful situations several times a month.

By December 2024, 48.5% of respondents reported not experiencing stress, compared with 44.5% in January.

The research also revealed differences between demographic groups. Women were more likely than men to report stress, while respondents aged 18–29 and 30–44 generally reported higher levels than older participants.

Although the two studies use different methodologies and cannot be directly compared, they raise an interesting question: Does reporting relatively little stress mean people are coping well, or could some have become so accustomed to pressure that they no longer recognize it?

To explore this question, a Qazinform correspondent spoke with psychologist Akbota Akanova, who shared insights from her professional practice, explained why even positive life changes can trigger anxiety and offered practical advice on managing chronic stress.

When stress becomes a normal part of life

According to Akanova, people do not always seek help when they first begin experiencing emotional pressure. Instead, some wait until their difficulties have become persistent.

“Based on my observations, many people in Kazakhstan have adapted to stress and do not always notice it. Unfortunately, in my practice, people quite often seek psychological help not when they first begin experiencing stress, but when it has already become chronic,” Akanova said.

The psychologist believes that changes in modern lifestyles may contribute to psychological overload.

She pointed to the contrast between previous generations, whose career and family paths were often more predictable, and today’s society, where people face an increasingly wide range of opportunities and decisions.

“Our parents’ generation lived in conditions of relatively limited choice. Life followed a more or less predictable scenario: a person finished school, entered a college or university, obtained a profession, found a job in their field and often continued working in that area until retirement. Even approaches to raising children were relatively similar,” she explained.

“Today, the situation is different. We live in a world of enormous opportunities and choices. And the paradox is that the more choices a person has, the greater the psychological burden. Every choice brings not only new opportunities but also the need to make decisions, take responsibility, face uncertainty, doubts and the possibility of making mistakes.”

According to Akanova, psychological overload can sometimes manifest itself through behaviors that are commonly associated with laziness or poor self-discipline.

“That is why there are so many complaints about procrastination, endless scrolling through social media, feelings of exhaustion and an inability to begin even the tasks that are important to us. Behind this, there may be not laziness or a lack of motivation, but psychological overload,” she explained.

“A person becomes so absorbed in comparisons and worries about their future that they have practically no resources left for real action.”

While stress can contribute to procrastination and difficulties with concentration, these behaviors may also have other psychological or medical explanations.

Why can even happiness cause stress?

Stress is commonly associated with negative experiences, such as financial difficulties, conflicts or uncertainty about the future.

However, Akanova emphasized that positive changes can also become sources of emotional pressure.

“Many people believe that stress is a reaction to something negative — unpleasant events or the expectation of difficulties. But our psyche can experience stress not only because of negative events, but also because of positive changes in life,” she said.

Drawing on her professional experience, she described clients who had spent years in emotionally unstable environments and later struggled to adjust to calmer circumstances.

“For example, a person may have grown up in a dysfunctional family or spent many years in circumstances where they constantly had to survive, defend themselves and adapt. Interestingly, the psyche can become so accustomed to this state that moving into a calm, stable life may trigger intense anxiety.”

According to the psychologist, familiar patterns can sometimes feel more predictable, even when they are harmful.

“A person who is accustomed to living in constant tension, upon finding themselves in the very environment they once desired, may unconsciously begin searching for, or sometimes even creating, familiar stressful situations. Not because they enjoy suffering, but because it is a familiar scenario.”

She recalled situations involving women who appeared to have stable family lives but continued experiencing unexplained anxiety.

“Sometimes women come to me whose family lives seem calm and prosperous. Yet instead of feeling safe, they experience anxiety. They begin looking for reasons to worry, as though expecting something bad to happen.”

Even major milestones, such as marriage, can trigger unexpected emotional reactions.

“Imagine a young woman receiving a long-awaited marriage proposal from someone she loves. It would seem to be a happy event, but instead of joy, she begins experiencing severe stress. And we are not simply talking about doubts over whether she has made the right choice. Sometimes the anxiety becomes so intense that it manifests itself physically.”

Akanova believes that familiarity and predictability can play an important role in how people respond to changing circumstances.

“Our psyche does not necessarily strive for happiness, but for what is familiar and predictable. What a person knows, even if it is not good for them, may unconsciously feel more understandable and safer,” she explained.

She added that people do not always have enough time to process major events, particularly when they are already dealing with unresolved emotional experiences.

As a result, even welcome changes can become difficult to manage.

Millennials and Gen Z: Why do generations experience stress differently?

The Freedom Finance Global survey found that younger adults reported stress more frequently than older respondents during 2024.

But does this mean younger people are necessarily less psychologically resilient?

According to Akanova, age-related differences are more complicated than they may initially appear.

She noted that older generations were often raised in environments where openly expressing emotions was discouraged.

“The older generation more often grew up with prohibitions against expressing their own feelings, where showing emotions was taboo: ‘It’s shameful,’ ‘You mustn’t,’ or ‘Men don’t cry,’” she said.

In her practice, millennials and older clients frequently describe a strong sense of responsibility toward their families, careers and social obligations.

“Many of them grew up with strong beliefs about duty, obligations, guilt and shame. They may be successful, cope perfectly well with professional and family responsibilities, but at the same time have absolutely no idea how to take care of themselves.”

“Many of them poorly understand what they actually want, but know perfectly well what they ‘must’ do, what they ‘need’ to do and what others expect of them.”

According to Akanova, these competing expectations can create an internal conflict.

“One of the sources of stress for this group is the internal conflict between their own needs and their sense of duty. Sometimes it is accompanied by chronic anxiety, guilt about resting or an inability to allow themselves to live the way they want.”

Younger clients, meanwhile, may be more comfortable discussing their emotions and establishing personal boundaries.

“Today, Gen Z speaks much more freely about their desires, emotional needs and personal boundaries. They have an enormous number of opportunities and are more likely to allow themselves to choose rather than simply follow a predetermined life scenario,” she said.

However, Akanova believes that constant exposure to information, social media and rapidly changing content can create additional challenges for some young people.

“Some young people find it more difficult to maintain attention on one task for a long time, move consistently toward a result and endure processes that require time, patience and systematic effort,” she explained.

“This can also become a source of stress, especially when the desired result does not come quickly. They often become exhausted by the process itself if they do not immediately see results.”

These distinctions reflect observations from the psychologist’s practice and should not be interpreted as universal characteristics of entire generations.

When does everyday stress become a warning sign?

Stress is a normal response to demanding situations. However, when emotional pressure continues for a prolonged period, it can begin affecting a person’s physical health, behavior and relationships.

According to Akanova, warning signs may appear in several forms.

Physical symptoms can include sleep disturbances, nightmares, changes in appetite, trembling and chest discomfort.

Emotionally, people may experience persistent anxiety, feelings of helplessness, negative thoughts about themselves or a constant expectation that something bad is about to happen.

“Devaluing yourself, feeling helpless, believing that nothing is working out, self-directed aggression and a feeling of chaos in your head - when there are too many unpleasant thoughts - are all warning signs,” she explained.

Some people may also begin withdrawing from social interactions or turning to potentially harmful coping behaviors.

“Sometimes it involves compulsive shopping, excessive alcohol consumption or procrastination - accessible ways of switching attention toward something pleasurable,” Akanova said.

Although these experiences may accompany prolonged stress, they are not sufficient on their own to diagnose chronic stress or another mental health condition.

Persistent symptoms that interfere with everyday life warrant professional assessment, while new or severe chest pain requires urgent medical attention.

What can people do when the source of stress cannot be removed?

Not every stressful situation has an immediate solution.

Financial obligations, family conflicts and demanding jobs may continue even when a person recognizes their impact on emotional well-being.

In such cases, Akanova recommends focusing on actions within one’s control.

“Ask yourself: What can I change right now? What is within my control? And then start taking small steps,” she advised.

She also emphasized the importance of acknowledging difficult experiences rather than continually avoiding them.

“I believe the best way to deal with stress is to work through it. To stop and reflect. Many people physically move away from a stressful situation but psychologically continue living in it,” she explained.

For example, after leaving a destructive relationship, some people may avoid future relationships or continue expecting similar difficulties with a new partner.

“For the psyche, it is important to integrate the experience in order to move beyond stress. In other words, to recognize: I coped with it. It is over.”

One practical technique she recommends is keeping a journal.

“Writing down your experiences can help, while allowing yourself to feel all your emotions without dividing them into good or bad. Allow yourself to feel anger about past or present events, to acknowledge helplessness, but most importantly, without turning that aggression against yourself,” she said.

She also suggests regularly asking two simple questions: “What is happening?” and “What am I feeling right now?”

Three ways to manage stress

Akbota Akanova outlined three approaches that can help people cope with everyday emotional pressure.

First, identify the source of stress and examine your thoughts.

“Learn to distinguish between a real threat and your own anxious predictions, and determine what you can actually influence right now,” she said.

She recommends considering the balance between three questions: What do I want? What can I do? What must I do?

Second, pay attention to physical well-being.

Regular exercise, breathing techniques and sufficient sleep can help people manage tension and support their ability to cope with challenging situations.

“These methods help reduce tension and support a person’s ability to cope with stress,” she explained.

Third, develop psychological flexibility.

This involves learning to adapt to uncertainty, acknowledge uncomfortable emotions and respond to difficult situations without automatically avoiding them.

“Learn to accept uncertainty, tolerate tension, notice your feelings and emotions without suppressing them,” Akanova advised.

She also emphasized that basic needs, including food, sleep and safety, should not be neglected while trying to address emotional difficulties.

For people whose symptoms persist, intensify or interfere with everyday functioning, professional psychological or medical support may be necessary.

Ultimately, the relatively low stress figures reported in Kazakhstan do not mean that everyone is free from emotional pressure. The surveys capture how respondents describe their experiences, while Akanova’s observations highlight how differently individuals may recognize and respond to stress.

As the psychologist’s experience suggests, becoming accustomed to living under pressure does not necessarily mean that pressure has stopped affecting a person’s well-being.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that Kazakhstan’s Senate had approved legislation aimed at regulating psychological services and protecting people from unqualified practitioners.