So here’s the thing: everybody on TikTok is telling you to be the “main character.” Cute idea. Except somewhere between “romanticize your iced coffee” and “quit your job to travel,” young adults are quietly drowning in anxiety.

Truth #1: Burnout isn’t “just being tired”

It’s emotional, physical, mental — a full system overload. It shows up as exhaustion, guilt, and feeling disconnected.

Micro Action: Pause mid-day (yes, even for 2 minutes). Close your eyes. Breathe. Tell your brain: “I’m still here.”

Let’s be honest — sleep is the first thing to go when life gets busy. You’ve got school, sports, jobs, group chats, TikTok, Snap streaks, and maybe a parent yelling about cleaning your room. Somewhere in there, you’re supposed to “rest.” Right. The only real “me time” comes at 1 a.m., when you’re tucked under the covers and whispering sweet nothings to your For You Page. That’s not self-care; that’s what TikTok has dubbed revenge bedtime procrastination — staying up late on purpose because you feel like the rest of your day doesn’t belong to you.

According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents is living with some type of mental disorder (WHO, 2021). That’s not just “a few kids who can’t handle it” — that’s millions of teens worldwide. In the U.S., the CDC reports that about 20% of teens have felt anxious in the past two weeks and around 18% report feeling depressed (CDC, 2023). Translation: you are not the only one.

Let’s be honest: parenting a teenager can feel like you’re suddenly the least cool person on the planet. They don’t need you to tie their shoes, pack their lunch, or remind them to brush their teeth anymore. (Okay, maybe still that last one.) On the surface, teens look independent. But here’s the thing: emotionally, they need you now more than ever.

This stage isn’t the time to check out. It’s the time to d

Everything…isn’t…trauma. I know—it’s controversial to say in a world that hands out trigger labels like candy. But hear me out: when we slap "trauma" on every uncomfortable or mildly irritating experience, we not only devalue the real stuff that truly messes kids up, but we also undermine their ability to tolerate life—because spoiler alert: real life can be super messy.

Here’s the gist: around 2010, childhood got hijacked. Smartphones and social media went from “new shiny gadgets” to “appendages permanently glued to every teen’s hand.” At the same time, free play, independence, and responsibility got shoved to the sidelines (Haidt, 2024).

So now we have a generation growing up with less real-world practice in, you know, life… but way more practice in curating a TikTok persona.

Shocking twist: it’s not going well.