08/08/2026
Perhaps We Are Simply Exhausted
There is so much psychological information on social media today — “I was triggered,” “it’s my nervous system,” “it’s my trauma,” “I need inner-child work” — that we can end up constantly asking what is wrong with us.
But perhaps we are overlooking something much simpler: people are tired.
People are under enormous financial and global pressure. We have to continue working, paying bills and providing for ourselves and our families. Most people don't have the financial freedom to simply stop working for six months to recover.
Previous generations experienced this pressure too. Parents and grandparents were often carrying tremendous financial and social burdens while trying to provide and support their families.
When people are continually overwhelmed, their capacity becomes depleted. The ability to pause, observe, remain curious, regulate a reaction and consider another person's perspective requires capacity — and sometimes there simply isn't much left.
This may explain why people are increasingly reactive and why ordinary interactions can escalate so quickly.
Perhaps the question isn't always “What is wrong with me?”
Sometimes it is:
“How much am I carrying, and how much capacity do I actually have right now?”
This doesn't excuse harmful behaviour or mean that genuine psychological difficulties don't exist. It simply adds context.
We may need less diagnosis and more curiosity, less certainty and more compassion.
Because underneath the facade of “I'm fine”, many people may simply be doing their best to keep going.
Perhaps we don't need another label. Perhaps we need to recognise that human capacity is finite.
