Why Now? 1/5 – BURNOUT?

Extraordinary times

call for extraordinary choices.

Are you brave enough to see what truly matters?

Trending

Personal growth is trending.

In fact, it’s been booming for years.

Books, podcasts, courses, seminars, webinars, social media groups…

You simply can’t ignore it.

The craving for meaning, happiness, and growth is immense.

And understandably so, as our world is changing faster than ever.

Image courtesy of stevecutts.com

“Men,” said the little prince, “set out on their way in express trains,
but they do not know what they are looking for.
Then they rush about, and get excited, and turn round and round…”

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry – The Little Prince

Everyone Free, No One Connected?

Look around and you’ll see it clearly: traditional structures are losing their grip.

Religion, social clubs, and the traditional certainty of a single job for life – they’re all fading away.

You prefer to determine for yourself what you think, feel, and believe.

Making your own choices offers freedom, but also brings a significant amount of responsibility.

Because now it’s all on you.

Your happiness.

Your life.

Maybe you recognize this: despite all that freedom, sometimes it feels lonely.

We’re more individualistic than ever, yet we’re still social beings.

We’re craving genuine connection.

And that’s exactly where the tension lies.

Online Happiness or Offline Emptiness?

Social media seem like the perfect answer to our craving for connection.

But are they really?

Sure, it feels amazing to become part of something bigger with just one swipe.

Yet these platforms also create anxiety, uncertainty, and doubt.

Maybe you know that feeling: you open Instagram and everyone’s living their best life.

Incredible journeys, perfect bodies, dream vacations, thriving careers.

Reality is often very different, yet it still affects you.

Because let’s face it: it’s tempting to compare those carefully selected highlights with your own lowest moments.

What you rationally know fades into the background as soon as you’re unconsciously scrolling.

All those perfect images become a standard, a norm.

Without realizing it, you start feeling behind, as if you need to catch up.

That exact feeling creates pressure, stress, and eventually even burnout.

Especially among younger, ambitious people.

Newspaper headers: FUN LIFE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT LOTS OF DEPRESSION AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE "A top job and yet unhappy: Problem in people in their twenties and thirties" How an overcrowded and insecure life leads to an exhausted generation Young people depressed by Instagram: 'Add warning to edited photos' Why we get sick of too many digital incentives

We’re trapped in a world that pushes us to continuously perform, leaving less room to pause and genuinely feel what’s important.

But that’s exactly what you need: balance between online inspiration and offline peace.

Your Eyes See It, Your Heart Feels It

Your rational knowledge disappears as you scroll.

Your brain registers all these dazzling images, often without you realizing it.

Subtly, they become reference points, norms to measure yourself against.

That’s the real danger: not what we consciously do, but what unconsciously influences us.

What’s Still Real? 

Social media rarely reflect real life.

Nearly everything you see is staged, planned, and endlessly optimized.

What’s missing is authenticity.

Woman looking at her reflection in the water – symbolizing self-reflection, awareness, and authentic living.

Honest Reflection

The critical question we should ask ourselves:

Do these apps still serve us, or have we unknowingly become their servants?

It’s confronting but more important than ever.

Maybe it’s time to honestly look inward and discover what truly makes you happy – beyond the perfect image.

Imagine pausing, taking a breath, and looking at what truly matters.

What remains?

What choices would you make if you knew your time was limited?