Morning coffee, an energy drink in the afternoon, and melatonin at night. And repeat. For many people, this has become the daily cycle, one where the pursuit of extreme productivity completely reshapes not only routines but also personal health, giving way to silent exhaustion. The body can’t keep up, the mind doesn’t slow down — and the solution seems to come in capsules and cans. But how did we get here?
The so-called “burnout society”, a concept popularized by South Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han, describes a reality in which overstimulation, constant pressure, and self-surveillance leads to emotional collapse.
The decision to turn to these substances — both stimulants and sleep-inducing aids — reflects a desire to gain control over our biological functions in response to the demands of productivity. Stimulants are used to sustain high performance, while melatonin and even other hypnotics are taken to compensate for the effects of overstimulation.
Between classes, courses, fitness routines, social media, and the pressure to “handle it all”, rest has become a luxury — and fatigue, the norm. Unsurprisingly, the consumption of energy drinks, supplements, and medications that promise to keep the mind alert or force the body to rest is on the rise. But behind these habits lies an attempt to control something that actually needs to be respected: our limits. And that comes at a cost.
The constant push for high productivity and the desire to stand out in the job market feeds into these behaviors, leading people to neglect their health and prioritize work above everything else. Resting is now seen as laziness, and not being fully consumed by work or productivity is often viewed as failure.
Psychologist Luini Lacerda, who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, explains that these habits can mask symptoms of exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, depression, and even sleep disorders like chronic insomnia.
“It’s a temporary fix, because the body will eventually respond with worsening symptoms — and at that point, taking care of these issues won’t be a choice anymore, as they’ll have become a serious health problem.”
It’s easy to romanticize productivity. What’s truly difficult is dealing with a racing mind, restless sleep, and emotional fatigue that drags on for days. Burnout doesn’t happen all at once — it builds slowly, as we ignore signs of exhaustion and continue operating on autopilot.
According to Lacerda, there are serious risks in normalizing the use of these products in everyday life. Making dependency on such substances that might seem natural is dangerous and can lead to both short – and long-term – mental and physical health consequences. These include anxiety disorders, depression, decreased cognitive performance over time, insomnia, and chronic stress. Not to mention the romanticization of self-sacrifice in the name of glorifying excessive productivity, often at the expense of health.
Lacerda also points out that consuming stimulants can become a form of emotional escape or a way of denying one’s physical and mental limits. “Stimulants act so that people don’t feel tired and can keep performing. It’s a way to mask a lack of motivation, cover up feelings of emptiness and frustration — and disguise physical and emotional exhaustion.”
The solution isn’t to abandon responsibilities, but to restore balance. Seek help, rethink routines, and, most importantly, remember that surviving is not the same as living. It’s crucial to emphasize that there are healthier alternatives to improve quality of life. Respecting the body’s basic needs should be non-negotiable.
“Getting enough good-quality sleep, not skipping meals, making healthy food choices, incorporating physical activity into your routine, and making time for rest and leisure — all of this is part of a healthy functioning system and directly impacts the overall well-being”, Lacerda advises.
In the end, we shouldn’t need an energy drink to wake up or a pill to fall asleep. The body speaks — through fatigue, pain, insomnia, and irritability — yet society keeps silencing those signals in the name of productivity that is never enough. Respecting your limits isn’t weakness; it’s emotional maturity. And perhaps, today, true progress lies in slowing down — when everything around us demands we speed up. Sleeping well, enjoying life, and not just enduring it should be a right — not a reward.
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The article above was edited by Isabela Theodoro.
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