The Battle You Don’t See Behind the Screen

Every day, I show up. I log in, reply to messages, sit through meetings, hit deadlines, and on the outside, it probably seems like everything’s fine. But the truth is, there's a battle raging behind this screen. A battle that’s left me mentally and emotionally exhausted, questioning if I have anything left to give to things outside of work.

This isn’t just stress. Neither it is “burnout” that goes away after a good weekend or a vacation. It’s this heavy, constant weight, an anxiety that doesn’t let up, a feeling like I'm stuck on autopilot with no way to turn it off. It's waking up every day to fight through waves of self-doubt, frustration, and exhaustion, just to keep up with the world that’s moving way too fast.

I know a lot of people understand this feeling. And if you’re reading this, maybe you do too. Maybe you’ve felt the pressure to keep going, to keep pretending, because taking a break feels impossible. Because the fear of falling behind or being forgotten is somehow more overwhelming than the struggle itself.

I’m not writing this for sympathy or pity. I don’t want that. I’m writing this because I think people need to know how many of us are barely holding it together behind our screens. How many of us are showing up, smiling, working hard, but feeling like we’re breaking a little more each day.

I’m trying to figure out what comes next. But maybe talking about it is the first step. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll help someone else feel a little less alone in this battle.

Keep up 🤞🏻 and stay positive 🫡