A Call to Reflect

I meet young adults who, from the outside, seem to have it all together. They’ve excelled in school, entered good universities, landed solid jobs. Yet behind their composed smiles,

I often hear the same quiet questions:

“I’m already exhausted.”

“How will I ever afford a flat?”

“When would I even have time to meet someone?”

They’re not failing. They’re burning out early — long before life has really begun.

Pressure Starts Young

In Singapore, pressure begins early. By 12, many children already feel their PSLE score defines their worth. At 16 or 18, O-Levels and A-Levels raise the stakes again. Then come university applications, internships, and job hunting — with the constant expectation to keep climbing.

Recent PSLE changes and education reforms aim to reduce this pressure, shifting focus away from grades alone. These are important steps. But policy cannot change everything. If parents, schools, and society still measure worth by scores and achievements, children will continue to carry the same silent weight.

When Work Never Ends

For many young professionals, work doesn’t stop at 6 p.m. WhatsApp messages arrive on weekends. Emails land after midnight. The unspoken rule: always be reachable, always reliable.

Boundaries blur. Rest feels like guilt. One client told me:

“I haven’t exercised in months. I barely see my friends. How would I ever build a life, let alone a marriage?”

At the same time, older workers face their own struggles. Many still want to contribute — to share wisdom, to work on their terms — yet doors often close. Age becomes a barrier. Flexibility is scarce. Dignity at work feels fragile.

Our young are stretched thin, while our elders are pushed aside. Both deserve better.

Quiet Questions We Must Ask

Why do we normalise burnout so early?

Why is rest treated as weakness?

Why do so many feel left behind, even while doing their best?

Why do we cast aside the wisdom of older Singaporeans, when they still have so

much to give?

These are not criticisms. They are the quiet questions I carry home after each counselling session — questions whispered by those who are trying their hardest to stay afloat.

A Call From the Heart

As a nation, we’ve achieved much. But we must pause and ask: Are our people okay?

The measure of society is not just GDP. It’s how people feel when they wake each morning. Do they feel valued — not just for what they produce, but for who they are?

We owe our children more than endless pressure.

We owe our workers more than emails at midnight.

We owe our elders more than being discarded.

We owe each other the chance to live well.

So today, I invite you to reflect:

How are you, really?

Do you feel seen — not just for what you do, but for who you are?

If your answer trembles even a little, you are not alone.

This is my gentle call: to pause, to rethink what we prize, and to choose care — for our young, our old, and ourselves.

Because life is more than survival.

And I believe, quietly but surely, that we can begin again — together.