Burnout no longer looks like back-to-back meetings or late nights at the office. Today, it’s quieter and harder to spot – a tired mind, heavy eyes, and a hand that instinctively reaches for a glowing screen.
The modern day rarely pauses. Between emails, reels, notifications and news alerts, the brain stays switched on long after the workday ends. What feels like downtime is often just another form of stimulation. The result? A new kind of fatigue: one that builds slowly, invisibly, and follows us everywhere.
Inside The ‘Always-On’ Mind
Mobile phones, say experts, have blurred the line between rest and responsibility. “We are stuck with it 24×7. There is no pause, no scope for silence and no space to breathe. Before people realise, they are drained and already feeling burnt out,” explains Acharya Anita, spiritual mentor and life coach.
Shri Kamlesh D Patel (Daaji), Global Guide of Heartfulness, echoes this: “We are looking for rest, and we keep choosing the phone. It gives us a distraction. It does not give rest.”
From a clinical lens, psychiatrist Dr. Rahul Chandhok notes, “Burnout is no longer just about late nights at the office, it now fits in the palm of our hand.”
Why Scrolling Doesn’t Feel Like Rest
Short-form content is designed to hook attention within seconds. One video becomes ten. Ten videos become an hour. What begins as a quick break overstimulates the brain instead of calming it.
Constant notifications also keep the nervous system on alert. “Emails, texts, news updates and social media all want your attention all day, even after work. The mind never really shuts down,” says Dr. Chandhok. Over time, this leads to irritability, poor focus and emotional exhaustion – classic signs of burnout, just without the boardroom.
Then there’s comparison. Likes, shares, and online personas quietly shape self-worth. As Patel observes, “We start measuring ourselves through these signals, and start adding pressure we rarely acknowledge.”
The Sleep Problem We Ignore
Nighttime scrolling may be the biggest culprit. Screens in bed suppress melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. The brain stays alert when it should be winding down, creating a cycle of restless nights and groggy mornings. “Night is the worst time for this. Screens in bed keep the brain alert and the same cycle repeats,” Patel cautions.
A More Mindful Way Forward
The solution isn’t abandoning technology. It’s reclaiming control. Acharya Anita recommends mindfulness and pranayama to slow the mental chatter. As breath steadies, thoughts settle. Even a few minutes of conscious breathing can reset the nervous system.
Patel suggests small rituals: keeping the phone away at bedtime, reflecting on gratitude, and meditating in the morning. These anchors create inner calm, reducing the urge to seek escape through screens.
Dr. Chandhok advises practical boundaries too by limiting notifications, scheduling screen-free breaks, and allowing the brain genuine downtime.
True rest isn’t a distraction. It’s stillness. When we trade constant stimulation for mindful pauses, the mind recovers.
