4. Remote Work Didn’t Fix It

Working from home blurred every boundary we had left. The office used to end when you left the building; now it lives in your inbox. Without structure, rest feels like rebellion. People aren’t burning out because they hate work—they’re burning out because work never ends.

5. The Productivity Paradox

We’ve optimized ourselves into oblivion. The apps, the planners, the “five a.m. routines”—they promise control but deliver anxiety. When you treat life like a to-do list, rest becomes another task you can’t check off. The goal shouldn’t be peak productivity—it should be enoughness.