‘Is burnout culture real in SG?’: Woman says she and 90% of her friends are struggling with exhaustion

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean woman recently shared on social media that she, along with nearly 90% of her friends, has been struggling with burnout in life, not just at work. Wondering if others feel the same, she asked on Reddit: “Is burnout culture real in SG?”

In her post, the woman shared her experience, writing that for the longest time, she has forced herself to go to work. Every day, she said, she “woke up tired, sat on her bed for hours mentally preparing herself to go to work, came back home, dissociated from everything, and at the end of the day, scrolled through social media just to distract herself from the miserable life she’s living.”

She also confessed that none of her hobbies brings her joy anymore. “None of them interest me anymore,” she wrote. “And I’m tired all the time, but I still can’t sleep. I shared my struggles with friends, and almost 90% said they were burned out too.”

Although some of them had suggested that she quit her job to recover from burnout, the woman said she refused, believing this would not solve her problem.

“I don’t think work is the main issue. Even if I change jobs, the things I do will still feel the same. I feel burned out in life, and I can’t simply just ‘quit’ life,” she said.

At the end of her post, she invited others to share their experiences as well. “Share your story with me,” she said. “Will this ever end?”

“If you want to make changes, you need to start with yourself.”

The post received a wave of replies from Singaporean Redditors, many of whom admitted that they’ve been feeling the same way. One said, “You are not alone; the burnout culture is real. Everyday work has already mentally drained me to the point where I come home, have dinner, and just literally lie on the bed afterwards with autopilot mode activated to doom scroll social media until I suddenly fall asleep.”

“Nothing interests me anymore, as I dread going to work the next day, thinking I have tasks not completed and am always trapped in this endless loop.”

Another echoed this sentiment, saying, “Burnout culture is 1000% real. Everyone is so fixated on work, money, and status that it’s been ‘in-built’ into the Asian culture.”

“There’s always that pressure to be advancing or achieving a certain status, or it means you did not make it in life; this creates the need to work longer hours, be more competitive, or fake success. There’s also that pressure to achieve something or hit some standard, and if you don’t, you feel like you’ve fallen behind.”

Concerned for the woman’s well-being, some also suggested that she seek professional help.

One Redditor, who experienced the same symptoms (dissociating, no joy in hobbies, and inability to sleep), wrote that she may have depression. “I say this as someone who was told by my counsellor that I’m burnt out, but 6 months later, my doctor formally diagnosed me with severe depression. Getting diagnosed and treated has literally saved my life.”

“I would encourage you to go and see your GP and request a mental health assessment. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me.”

Another added, “As someone who has struggled with their own mental health their whole life (I’m 40+, but not from SG and from a country with an extremely open, way less stigma on mental health), I can tell you, this doesn’t resolve by itself that easily and is easier to navigate with the right help.”

Others, meanwhile, pointed out to the woman that this burnout culture is happening not just in Singapore, but in other countries as well. “People think it’s a Singapore culture to burn out? What a joke. It’s like this everywhere in the world. If you want to take a step back, then it’s fine, but don’t complain about money not being enough blah blah blah.”

Another added, “Many people in cities are burnt out or unhappy with their jobs. Travel to other Asian cities, and you will see the same types of faces in the metro or subway. If you want to make changes, you need to start with yourself.”

In other news, a Singaporean is receiving a wave of praise online after she stepped in to help a distressed foreign worker who was stranded at Bugis MRT station.

In a post on Threads, the woman, who goes by the username ‘syiatootie’, shared that she first noticed the man standing by the gantry, visibly shaken and “crying” as he tried to get the attention of passing commuters. Concerned, she approached him to ask what had happened.

According to her, the worker explained through tears that the lorry transporting his team had driven off without him, leaving him stranded in Bugis with no way to get back.

Read more: ‘I’d rather lose $10 than lose my humanity’: Singaporean woman earns praise for helping distressed foreign worker at Bugis MRT station