Lately, many people are saying the same thing: “I’m very tired.” But this fatigue isn’t the kind that disappears with a few hours of sleep. It doesn’t lessen with rest, it doesn’t disappear during vacation. Even when you wake up in the morning, it leaves you feeling as if the day has already been consumed. Therefore, perhaps the right question is: Are we really tired, or are we just exhausted?
Today’s young adults carry a heavy burden, not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Constant tasks to catch up on, decisions to make, lives to build… And amidst all this, the question: “Am I enough?”
Endless Mental Work
Burnout isn’t just caused by overwork. The real exhaustion comes from the mind never stopping. Even when the to-do list is finished, the thoughts never cease.
“I should have done better.” “Did I make the wrong decision?” “Am I falling behind?”
This constant internal monologue becomes a form of self-pressure that the person unconsciously imposes. If the mind doesn’t rest, the feeling of fatigue persists even if the body rests. That’s why some people feel exhausted at the end of a day even if they’ve done nothing.
The Age Of Comparison and The Feeling Of Inadequacy
Social media is not just about seeing other people’s lives; it’s also about constantly evaluating our own lives. Who is where, what are they doing, what have they achieved… As all this becomes visible, individuals begin to measure their own lives against the same criteria.
This comparison is often unrealistic. But what it makes you feel is real: Inadequacy.
No matter what a person does, they feel incomplete. Even when they achieve something, there’s only a brief relief, followed by a new goal, a new expectation. When this cycle isn’t broken, the person feels like they’re constantly running but never getting anywhere.
Control Efforts and Anxiety
Young adulthood is one of the periods where uncertainties are most intense. Career, relationships, future plans… None of it is entirely clear. This uncertainty naturally increases anxiety.
One of the most common strategies developed to cope with anxiety is the attempt to control it. Planning everything, considering every possibility, trying not to make mistakes…
However, life is not a controllable system. Increased control leads not to relaxation, but to more tension. This is because a person feels more uneasy in every situation they cannot control. This, in turn, deepens mental fatigue.
Burnout: Not Just Work-Related
Burnout is often associated with work. However, nowadays, burnout is not limited to work; it has become a phenomenon that permeates all aspects of life. The feeling of burnout can arise in relationships, social life, and even in one’s relationship with oneself.
A person might feel like they can’t even keep up with themselves. They want to rest, but feel guilty while resting. They don’t want to do anything, but feel uncomfortable doing nothing. This internal conflict is one of the most obvious signs of burnout.
Is Slowing Down An Option?
In today’s world, slowing down is often perceived as synonymous with “falling behind.” However, constantly accelerating is unsustainable beyond a certain point. The human mind and emotions cannot sustain this pace for long.
Perhaps the solution isn’t to do more, but to do less, but to do it more consciously. Instead of trying to control everything, accept some uncertainties; instead of constantly criticizing yourself, try to understand yourself; and most importantly, determine your own pace according to your own capacity, not according to the pace of others…
Not Tiredness, It’s A Signal
Constant fatigue is often not a weakness, but a signal. It’s the mind and emotions saying, “I can’t go on like this.”
So perhaps we should ask ourselves this question: Do I really need to rest, or should I stop living life like this? Because sometimes the problem isn’t how tired we are, but how we live. And perhaps true healing begins not in enduring more, but in choosing not to continue in the same way anymore.
Reference
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Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout: A Multidimensional Perspective.
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American Psychological Association (2023). Stress in America Report.
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Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why Today’s Young People Are More Stressed.
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Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders.
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Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context.