Every morning, P.L., 29, from Hanoi, wakes up already tired.

There is no sense of anticipation, no quiet motivation to begin the day. Yet she still gets up, gets dressed and goes to work - not out of energy, but out of fear. A fear she struggles to name, except in one phrase: being “unremarkable”.

Working as an accountant for a fruit import company in Hanoi, earning VND14 million per month (US$570), her days unfold in a familiar rhythm of timesheets, reports and rushed meals. By the time rent and daily expenses are covered, little remains.

The exhaustion is not only financial.

Each trip back to her hometown carries a quiet weight. At nearly 30, she still returns with food packed by her parents - small gestures that deepen a lingering sense of inadequacy. Around her, friends seem to be moving forward, building careers, achieving visible success.

So she works more.

Extra hours, postponed relationships, constant effort - all driven by the hope that things will improve. But the body keeps its own record of strain. Nights become restless. Sleep slips away.

Eventually, it breaks.

Her hands tremble. Dizziness sets in. Her heart races without warning. At the Day Mental Health Hospital Mai Huong in Hanoi, doctors diagnose severe stress, accompanied by anxiety disorder and burnout syndrome.

Her story is not unusual.

In Ho Chi Minh City, B.T.M.H., 31, is admitted to hospital after weeks of persistent fatigue, anxiety and irritability. Her life is defined by overlapping roles - professional responsibilities, childcare, caring for both sides of the family, maintaining social ties.

She is not failing at any of them.

But the effort to succeed in all of them is slowly draining her.

Like many others, she lives with a quiet, persistent fear: that her life might never be “remarkable enough”. The expectations she places on herself, intended as motivation, gradually become a source of erosion.

When exhaustion becomes illness

According to Dr. Bui Pham Minh Man, deputy head of Traditional Medicine at the University of Health Sciences under Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, this kind of pressure is often seen as a normal part of adulthood.

But the consequences are becoming harder to ignore.

Burnout, he explains, is not simple fatigue. It is a state of physical and emotional depletion caused by prolonged, unmanaged stress. And among young people, its prevalence is rising.

The signs often begin quietly.

Sleep becomes difficult - either falling asleep or staying asleep. Daytime fatigue deepens, weakening the immune system. Persistent tension headaches appear, accompanied by tightness in the neck and shoulders.

Cognitive clarity fades. Concentration declines. Tasks that once felt manageable become overwhelming.

The body, too, begins to react. Digestive disturbances such as bloating, loss of appetite, alternating diarrhea and constipation reflect the disruption of the brain-gut axis.

Emotionally, the changes can be just as stark.

Irritability, anxiety, loss of interest in work or family life - and in some cases, a lingering sense of emptiness, as if meaning itself has thinned.

When these symptoms persist for weeks and begin to interfere with daily life, they should not be dismissed as weakness. They are signs of a health condition that requires attention.

Seeking help, restoring balance

Medical consultation plays a critical role in such cases.

Clinical evaluation helps rule out underlying physical conditions such as hormonal disorders, anemia, thyroid disease or metabolic issues, all of which can present with similar symptoms. Psychological assessment is equally important to distinguish occupational stress from anxiety disorders or depression that may require targeted treatment.

But recovery does not begin with medication alone.

Lifestyle adjustments form the foundation.

Re-establishing a stable daily rhythm - sleeping before 11pm, maintaining consistent meal times, and engaging in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week - can gradually restore balance. Equally important is the willingness to redistribute responsibilities and let go of unrealistic expectations of perfection.

Professional support can make a measurable difference.

Psychological counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy and stress management training offer structured ways to rebuild resilience. In certain cases, short-term medication may be prescribed.

Yet perhaps the most important step is recognition.

“Early identification of burnout helps protect long-term health, maintain work capacity and preserve balance within the family,” Dr. Man said.

For many young people, the fear of living an ordinary life feels urgent, almost existential.

But in the quiet space between ambition and exhaustion, a different truth emerges: that a life does not need to be extraordinary to be whole - and that survival, in itself, is not something to take lightly.

Phuong Thuy