“You don’t have real responsibilities.” “Wait until you have a real job.” “You’re at an age where you have no reason to be tired.”
The truth is, stress doesn’t come in just one form. It doesn’t only exist in offices or late night shifts. For teenagers, it shows up in many different ways. Piles of homework that keep us up till 12 a.m., the constant pressure to be successful, high expectations from our parents/peers, and the silent fear of not being good enough in a world that expects perfection.
Have you ever opened up to someone you trust, but then get told “you’re too young to feel like that.” Well if so, don’t worry, you aren’t alone. We get told that we have no reason to be depressed or have stress because we don’t have ‘real jobs’ or ‘pay taxes’. Here’s the thing, burnout doesn’t wait for adulthood to appear. It doesn’t wait for a certain age you turn, when you file for your taxes, or when it’s time to pay your bills. Yet somehow, teenagers are instantaneously told that their exhaustion isn’t real or that it doesn’t count.
There’s something insanely frustrating about being overwhelmed, but then the next second we’re told being overwhelmed isn’t valid. That teaches people to question their own feelings. It turns our exhaustion into something we think has to be hidden, locked away, or laughed off. Over time, that silence builds as each day passes.
I’ve witnessed people stop opening up because they already know what the response is to come. I’ve seen the exhaustion turn into dullness because at some point it feels easier to not feel anything at all. That’s the part adults don’t care to see. Teenagers aren’t asking to be compared to others and they aren’t saying that they have it worse than others. All they want is to be heard without being quickly dismissed. They’re asking to be seen and not ignored. They’re asking someone to recognize that their pressure is still pressure, even if it doesn’t come with a bill they have to pay.
Burnout isn’t a competition. There’s no finish line where someone has the chance to suddenly win the right to feel overwhelmed. The idea that adults have in their minds where our struggle has to be justified by age is the reason why so many of us stop communicating and instantly shut down when asked “How are you?” Being young doesn’t make our emotions less real or less important.
When our feelings are constantly minimized, we end up learning to minimize ourselves. We learn that our struggles are inconvenient, that our exhaustion is just dramatic, and that our voice isn’t worth the time to take seriously. That kind of mindset doesn’t just disappear as we get older, it follows us and haunts us day by day.
The reality of it is simple, burnout doesn’t need permission to exist. It’ll show up any day and at any time in teenagers, adults, or just in anyone who carries more than they are able to hold. The question is: is anyone willing to listen?
