Running on empty, smiling on cue

A cultural diagnosis of burnout in the age of hustle and wellness There’s a fatigue in the air, low-grade but constant. Not the kind a nap or a long weekend can fix. It’s in our DMs, our delayed replies, our group chats that slowly die off, and our eyes as we zone out mid-Zoom. Everyone is tired. But no one’s really saying why. We joke about it: “Adulting is a scam.” “Capitalism is ghetto," and “Rest is resistance.” But beneath the memes is a deep, gnawing emotional exhaustion. And it’s not just physical burnout. It’s soul-tired. It's waking up and feeling like you're already behind. It’s smiling on cue while feeling like you're running on fumes. In the Kenyan context, hustle is holy. We are bred on stories of people who made it by sheer will. No handouts. Just grit. “Lazy youth” rhetoric is national policy. And so we internalize the grind. Sleep becomes optional. Productivity becomes identity. Globally, the hustle gospel isn’t much different. And now we are mirrorin...