Not too long ago, I was sitting in a taxi in Lagos traffic, and I asked the driver how his day was going. He paused for a moment and said, “I’m just tired. We’re all just tired.”
That sentence stuck with me. Since then, I’ve started noticing it everywhere — in my friends' WhatsApp statuses, in random tweets, even in church sermons. Everyone seems to be tired. Or angry. Or disturbingly quiet. And if you look closely, it's not just about physical exhaustion. It's a **deep, emotional weariness**, like we’ve all been running on low battery for too long.
So I started asking: *Why?*
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We're Not Lazy, We're Surviving
A few years ago, hustle culture was glamorized. “No sleep,” “Team no rest,” “Secure the bag.” But now? People are slowly beginning to admit that this lifestyle isn't sustainable. Nigerian youths, especially, are waking up to the realization that being in survival mode 24/7 is not normal.
We're navigating bad governance, rising prices, insecurity, career pressure, family expectations, and still trying to smile and say “I dey alright” when we’re asked how we’re doing. The truth is, **most of us are not alright.** But we’re afraid to say it because vulnerability in Nigeria is often mistaken for weakness.
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The Anger Isn’t Just About Today
You see someone explode in traffic, or a Twitter user go off over something minor. It’s tempting to call them dramatic — but look deeper. That rage is rarely about what just happened. It’s **layers of unresolved stress**, disappointment, and emotional fatigue. Nigerians are dealing with trauma in real time, without time to process it.
That colleague who snapped at you? She’s probably been bottling up frustration from work, home, and her bank app refusing to load when she needed it the most.
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And Then There's the Silence…
Perhaps the most terrifying thing isn’t the anger or the stress, but the silence. People are retreating. Going offline. Ignoring calls. Smiling less. Posting less. Because when pain becomes too much to explain, silence becomes the easier language.
But silence isn’t peace. It’s often just emotional shutdown.
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So, What Do We Do?
There’s no easy answer, but maybe we can start by being softer with each other — and with ourselves. Let’s normalize checking in on people beyond “How far?” Let’s stop glorifying burnout and start choosing rest. Let’s understand that not everyone who isolates is okay, and not everyone who’s always joking is fine.
We need to stop pretending that resilience means suffering in silence. It doesn't.
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Final Thoughts
This article isn’t meant to depress you — it’s meant to remind you that if you feel tired, or quiet, or even a little lost right now, **you’re not alone**.
Maybe this season is less about thriving and more about surviving — and that’s okay. Just don’t forget: you’re human first. The rest will figure itself out.
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