Trying to Make It: How Modern Life Turned Survival Into a Full-Time Job
Let’s be real — life isn’t just harder these days; it’s exhausting. It’s like the world collectively agreed to make everything just a little more expensive, a lot more complicated, and infinitely more stressful. Sometimes it feels like we’re all just characters in some bizarre reality show called Survive the 2020s. Spoiler alert: nobody’s winning.
I don’t know about you, but every conversation lately seems to start with the same sentence: “Can you believe how expensive everything’s gotten?” Groceries, rent, even basic stuff like toothpaste — everything feels like it’s part of some cruel joke. Remember when a bag of chips was a dollar? Yeah, now it’s like $6, and half the bag is air.
Welcome to modern life, where just staying afloat feels like a full-time job.
The Everyday Grind Nobody Talks About
We’ve all seen those “hustle culture” posts online — you know, the ones that say “You have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé.” Sure, but Beyoncé isn’t worrying about her hydro bill or whether her car insurance went up again. Most of us are just trying to get through the week without crying in the grocery aisle (again).
Funny enough, people have normalized struggling. We joke about “adulting,” about being broke, about burnout. But deep down, everyone knows it’s not really funny. It’s survival mode — disguised as motivation.
A friend of mine works two jobs and still can’t save a dime. He’s not lazy; he’s just stuck. Rent keeps climbing, wages don’t. He told me, “It’s not that I’m living paycheck to paycheck. It’s that my paycheck doesn’t make it to the end of the week.” That line hit me hard — because it’s real.
Inflation, Bills, and That Constant Dread
You ever check your bank account after paying bills and think, “Where did it all go?” The numbers don’t even make sense anymore. A trip to the grocery store feels like gambling — except the house always wins.
People used to dream about owning homes. Now, we dream about affording an apartment with decent heat. A generation ago, a single income could raise a family; now, two incomes can barely cover rent. And let’s not even get started on “luxuries” like vacations or savings accounts.
The world keeps telling us to “budget better,” but let’s face it — you can’t budget your way out of a broken system. You can only stretch so far before something snaps.
The Mental Toll of Constant Survival
This is the part we don’t talk about enough. The exhaustion isn’t just physical — it’s mental. There’s this low-grade anxiety humming in the background of everything. You wake up tired. You go to bed tired. And in between, you’re supposed to be productive and grateful.
Let’s be honest: pretending to be okay is the new national pastime. We post smiling selfies while quietly breaking down inside. We send the “haha yeah I’m fine” texts when really, we’re one inconvenience away from losing it.
It’s not weakness. It’s the cost of existing in a world that’s designed to drain you — slowly, consistently, relentlessly.
Social Media’s Role in the Madness
If you’ve ever scrolled through social media while feeling miserable, you know the feeling. Everyone else seems to be thriving — new car, new home, new business. And there you are, debating whether to splurge on name-brand cereal.
What people forget is that social media is smoke and mirrors. Nobody posts their stress, their debt, their 2 a.m. panic attacks. You’re comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. It’s not a fair fight.
And yet, that comparison trap is so easy to fall into. You start to wonder, “What am I doing wrong?” when really, the better question is, “Why is surviving considered failure?”
The Quiet Rebellion
Here’s the thing: people are starting to push back — quietly, but powerfully. They’re opting out of the grind. They’re leaving jobs that drain them. They’re learning to live smaller, slower, and simpler.
Some are growing food in their backyards. Others are bartering, freelancing, or working remotely to reclaim a bit of freedom. And you know what? That’s beautiful. Because rebellion doesn’t always look like protests and megaphones. Sometimes it looks like saying, “I’m done living just to pay bills.”
We might not be able to fix everything overnight, but we can stop pretending that this endless hustle is normal. Survival shouldn’t be an aspiration — it should be the baseline.
A Small Reminder
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Yeah, that’s me,” — take a breath. You’re not alone. You’re not lazy. You’re just living in a time that makes it insanely hard to be a person.
The fact that you keep showing up — even when you’re exhausted — says more about your strength than any motivational quote ever could.
Modern life has turned survival into a full-time job, sure. But maybe the quiet revolution starts with realizing we’re all tired of working overtime just to exist.
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