To think people are feeling more exhausted and burnt out than a decade earlier

[Wheelsonbus]

From my own experience and observing the difference in behaviour from a decade ago, I feel people are feeling more and more exhausted and burnt out after COVID, the Ukraine war leading to rising inflation and CoL and just in general, people are feeling more tired and pessimistic. It's showing up on virtual forums like social media including MN as well as real life with people needing more time off sick.
I might be wrong but I am feeling much more exhausted and burnt out even though I have been in similar job but I am pregnant and have a toddler on top of everything else. COVID did take a toll on many people as well as public services getting worse is just adding to the frustration.

My point is this: don't just think it was easier for young people in the past. I actually think doing housework and childcare from a young age is detrimental to wellbeing. They were not halcyon days.

Yes, but most of those tasks are menial and don't require much mental labour. You can "switch off" whilst doing them. I suppose that's what I think the difference is. We are now required to be mentally "on" at all times.

Well, I don't think so. I think you could read a book or listen to some music as there is far less manual labour to do.
I think an addiction to phone use and sm is something else, and it's possible to detox

Maybe it’s because you have to be ‘on’ all the time. You can’t escape being contacted day and night.

Theres more awareness of neuro diversity than there was even ten years ago and more awareness of stress and anxiety. I do think the latter has increased since Covid when we were terrified to go out, terrified of catching on passing it on, terrified of people.

Influencers and social media have much to answer for. No one can be on top form all the time, houses aren’t always pristine, not everyone can strive to be a perfect size 8, but they’re demonstrating a ‘perfect’ life. It’s not real!

You'd think that the prevalence of working from home would ease some pressure, but apparently not. Difficult finances, job insecurity and constantly rising prices all add to the pressure.

We are now required to be mentally "on" at all times.
This.

YABU for blaming Covid and the Ukraine war rather than Brexit and austerity. We have problems, but they mostly aren't the result of external shocks that our government had no control over.

I think social media is making us all sick.

I blame social media. And the need for competitive business. I'm never shamed to take a weekend day doing absolutely nothing at all. But I am absolutely judged for doing just that by lots of my circle.

You've had kids?? That is part of it.

But yes, we are all poorer, there is war in Europe, COVID was crap and public services are broken.

I think you're on to something about wfh, @Bluevelvetsofa . It seems really convenient etc, but maybe it's harder to separate home and work life?
Also I have a neighbour in her 30s who rarely leaves the house. She wfh and shops online. I don't think that's healthy.

@Bluevelvetsofa nailed it. There is no off switch. If I don’t look at my phone for a few hours there are upwards of 35 WA messages. Work, school, hobbies. I really resent that work can just enter my life at any time.
for me personally it’s got nothing to do with Covid or the Ukraine war.
expectations from work and school just keep rising…..and I don’t have enough hours in the day. I’m on my knees.

I don’t know… a lot of people on here talk about social media and being contactable all the time as if they don’t have a choice in this. I turn my work phone off at 4.30 and close my laptop at 5. I don’t go on sm much and my sleep mode on my personal mobile comes on at 8pm. I don’t feel pressure to entertain my kid 24/7. I actually actively encourage her to allow time to be bored. I feel a lot less stress in my 40s than when I was 30. Of course there are COL worries but I don’t need to pile on top of that with all the other rubbish which is totally within my control.

Thank you for saying this . I do get a bit wearied by posters insisting that life is so much harder nowadays , usually making a dig at the much maligned “ boomers” .
Every generation has different challenges . I had my 3 DC in the 1980s when interest rates were double figures and we only had 3 months Maternity Leave..

100% correct
NHS nurse. Currently no money to pay overtime. Currently no money in each trust to recruit any nurses but apparently each government are planning to recruit more nurses and midwives so not sure if they are gonna allow every trust on the NHS an increase in budget? So far they haven’t.
I used to have time in the week and now I feel I don’t .

exhausted 24 hours daily!

Fuck me the state of these replies. I remember when it was all trees!!!

There is no doubt whatsofuckingever that life is harder now that ever before. Yes we have more, and that is the problem. Excess. There's just too much of everything. Food, drink, entertainment, TV, social media, messages, data, news, emails. It is absolutely impossible to switch off. Give me a newspaper, no internet and 3 channels on the tv and naff all else and I'd be a lot happier.

Thank you, @Mylovelygreendress . I had 13 weeks maternity leave, only 6 on full pay. You had to return to your job, not get part time hours. I knew women who had to return after 6 weeks because they couldn't afford not to.
I do think it's important not to think everything had just got progressively worse over the recent past.

Maybe it's the kids that make some exhausted.
I was tired and not much time when they were small but now they are adults I feel free.
Enjoying all the things I want to enjoy.
Love a nap in the day life's hard so we have to make time for ourselves.

I don’t feel worse personally. My kids are older now and so much less demanding. I found the baby and toddler years so relentless. We also have more money than we did 10 years ago.

Despite this I can feel that the world is just more shit than it was. There is no feeling of optimism anywhere.

Everyone seems more miserable and stressed. Hardly any increase in wages, doesn't cover inflation. Failing nhs means I can't be seen, I'm was ringing and fighting all the time to get an mri for a broken back.

I think it’s because there just isn’t any spare money for lots of people. That can mean less ‘fun’, even down to fewer takeaways, less days out having a nice time, maybe not visiting family and friends as much as it costs extra (even petrol and spending money adds up). A lot of us cannot afford a spontaneous day out for instance. We’re just working and doing the day to day stuff constantly.
I know for a fact I spend less on myself, so look a bit more exhausted.
Plus there is a whole generation of early baby boomers who are now in their 70s and for some of us that involves extra caring responsibilities.

@Wheelsonbus

but I am pregnant and have a toddler

This is why you’re exhausted.

I think things are worse since the pandemic and I am not young. The past was not perfect. But social media, pressure for people to be perfect and achieving, public services being so shit, the public realm being so run down, cost of living and just having enough money. And no hope it will get better.
I think a lot of people have had enough and are struggling.

Being available 24/7. Social media. Had a coffee with a friend the other day. 30 mins. Her phone must have gone off 5 times. It wasn't work.
Why would people not be exhausted?

I don't think it is true of "people", if by that you mean most of the population.

I am feeling much more exhausted and burnt out even though I have been in similar job but I am pregnant and have a toddler on top of everything else.

I think you'll find this ^ has a lot to do with it.

At the same time, there will be others who had the exhaustion of having small children a decade ago who are now in a much better place. There will be people who were in stressful jobs 10 years ago who are now retired.
Everyone is at different stages of their lives.

Why would people not switch off their phone for 30 minutes?