If you’ve ever thought, “I shouldn’t be this tired,” this post is your permission slip.

What you’re feeling isn’t failure — it’s ambient burnout. The quiet, relentless kind that comes from being everything to everyone.

You know how they say “Welcome to your teen years!” like you’re entering Disneyland, confetti and cotton-candy? Yeah, surprise: what you’re actually getting is less roller-coasters and more emotional loop-de-loops. Let’s talk about one of the trendiest—but least glamorous—mental-health topics among teens right now: the screen-life spiral.

We’ve been sold a Norman Rockwell version of the holiday: cozy family moments, perfect pies, a roaring fire, and everyone pausing to reflect on what they’re thankful for. But somewhere between delayed flights, passive-aggressive family comments, and existential dread over how much the groceries cost this year, the whole thing starts to feel less “heartwarming” and more “psychological endurance test.”

Welcome to your 20s — that magical decade where everyone expects you to “find yourself,” but no one tells you that finding yourself also comes with student debt, burnout, and at least one existential crisis before brunch. You’re technically an adult, but you still Google how to cook chicken safely. You’re old enough to have a 401(k) and young enough to cry when your DoorDash order gets canceled.