We are the generation that grew up with the ‘rise and grind’ stitched into our timelines. We were told that success is a race, that sleep is for the weak and that hustle is holy. But somewhere between the 3 am deadlines, the side hustles, the unpaid internships and the endless scroll of curated perfection-we cracked. Welcome to the age of burnout!

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”  
-Anne Lamott 

Burnout is not a badge of honor. For years, we wore exhaustion like a trophy. “I only slept three hours” became a flex. We normalised anxiety as ambition and blurred the line between productivity and self-worth. But now, something is shifting. Quietly, but powerfully. More and more young people are saying: Enough! They’re quitting toxic jobs, choosing therapy over toxic positivity and redefining what it means to “make it”. They ar trading 80-hour workweeks for 8 hours of sleep.

 

They are choosing presence over performance. The rise of mindful living: Mindful living isn’t about escaping responsibility, it is about engaging with life more intentionally. I came across certain bunch of people - A young graphic designer now works four days a week and spends Fridays volunteering at a local animal shelter. “It keeps me grounded,” she says. “I create better when I feel connected.” - A chef redesigned his kitchen to serve only 20 guests a night, focusing on seasonal, locally sourced menus. “I would rather serve less and serve well,” he explains. - A boutique owner schedules ‘no-phone’ hours in her store, encouraging customers to browse slowly, sip tea and talk. “It’s not just about selling- it’s also about sharing space,” she says. Let’s be clear: There’s a difference between conscious rest and careless disengagement.

 

Choosing to pause after effort is wisdom. Claiming exhaustion without motion is avoidance. You still have to show up. You still have to earn your living, contribute and grow. But you don’t have to destroy yourself in the process. What if success wasn’t about titles or timelines, but about alignment? What if it meant waking up excited, not exhausted? What if it looked like balance, not burnout? More and more young people today are choosing purpose over pressure, wellness over weariness. They are not dropping out—they’re opting in: To lives that feel good, not just look good. So here’s to the ones who nap without guilt, who log off without apology, who choose softness in a world that demands steel. You are not falling behind. You are forging a new path. And maybe-just maybe-that’s the real hustle.