I’m 15. I should be full of life. But most days, I feel like I’m running on fumes.
We wake up at 6 AM and study till midnight. We jump from school to tuition to coaching, with barely a pause to breathe. And if we do pause, we’re told we’re wasting time.
I’m 15, but I’ve already been told that if I don’t get into IIT, I’ll be a “nobody.”
I’m 15, and I already feel like my dreams have expiry dates.
No one talks about teenage burnout in India.
No one talks about how the pressure of exams, ranks, boards, and expectations crushes not just our time—but our identity.
We’re told to “focus on studies” and leave everything else.
So we quit art. We quit sports. We quit dance. We quit joy.
And then we’re asked why we look so tired all the time.
I’m 15. I should be building, exploring, living.
Instead, I’ve watched classmates cry in bathrooms. I’ve watched people cheat on tests because they’re terrified of failing. I’ve watched bright, funny, passionate people turn into anxious shadows of who they used to be.
And here’s the scariest part—we all think it’s normal.
We glorify stress. We wear burnout like a badge.
We laugh about 4 hours of sleep like it’s an achievement.
We trade our childhoods for CVs and coaching centre promises.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
I’m not lazy. I’m just tired.
I’m not broken. I’m just burning out.
And this isn’t what growing up is supposed to feel like.
We need to talk about this.
We need parents who ask how we feel, not just what we scored.
We need schools that value curiosity as much as they do consistency.
We need to know that our worth isn’t tied to a percentage.
So I’m writing this, not as a rebel, not as a genius, not as a topper.
Just as a 15-year-old who’s tired—and wants to feel alive again.
Hame saans lene do.
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