Americans Feel Very Disconnected Lately...

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]We're living in a time that even though people are so connected because of the internet, because of our phones, because of all of this technology around us, people feel the most disconnected ever.

[00:00:11]Isn't that quite a phenomenon? Between honestly all of the stress that's going on and between just wanting to even kind of pull back from society because people can't cope anymore, it's really like a spreading epidemic. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed a massive shift in the last few years? I swear it's from since COVID. I swear, which I think the entire universe verse has shifted since COVID. Like everything feels so weird.

[00:00:34]Time is different. Like something's going on. But I'm specifically talking about school. If your kids go to public school, I have three kids. My oldest graduated 2 years ago. My middle is a senior and my youngest is a sophomore.

[00:00:45]And I don't remember feeling like this, but I feel like their entire 4 years of high school was just been like post-COVID. They have like not wanted to be there. They don't have any reason to feel that way. They have tons of friends. They're very social. They've never had any issues in school. They're in sports. Like they're in activities.

[00:01:00]Like they're very Like you wouldn't think that they would not want to be going to school. But they legitimately don't want to be there.

[00:01:05]It's almost like they are seeing the world differently than I did at their age. Like they don't see any value in it. They are learners. They love to learn. They would rather be at work all day with my husband and I who own our own business or our neighbor who owns his own business. They'd rather start their own business and start working.

[00:01:20]It's like by the age of 14 or 15 my kids were like, kind of wasting a lot of time in this building. Public education in general, I mean, don't even get me started. But it's like is are you guys noticing with your teenage kids that their thought process and their minds are just so much more critical and aware of the world than you were at their age and they're like, this whole institutionalized learning thing is a little bit bogus. Have any other millennials in their 30s just woken up one day and realized that this was not the life that they were meant to live?

[00:01:50]Like whatever we were chasing, whatever career ladder that we were brainwashed to convince that this is how we were supposed to be. We're supposed to just follow this perfect map of oh, you go to college, you get a job, you get promoted, and then you retire at 65.

[00:02:08]You're miserable. You save money for what? To go on vacations just to be in pain. You can't stay out late. You don't know what health or medical conditions you're going to have at that point. Like what are we doing?

[00:02:20]This is not This is not it. So is anybody else just kind of like, what the hell are we doing?

[00:02:28]Um, I just got out of a therapy appointment. And I went in there and I was talking to him and I I you know, I told him about how I'm kind of stressed out about everything that's going on, you know, and essentially my thing is seeing how deep and far-widespread all of this potential corruption goes.

[00:02:55]And to know and be able to put the pieces of history together and understand that human beings have lived in this system for millennia of there are these certain people that are at the top that have accumulated mass amounts of wealth and ultimately power.

[00:03:21]And those people control things and they control the population and essentially they own the population. And it's been like this for thousands of years, you know. In medieval Europe in the feudal system that that's what this is essentially. They they own us.

[00:03:42]And knowing that that it's been going on for so long and that it's so far spread it touches damn near everything. Like I mean, we were talking about it's in the food industry. It's in the housing industry.

[00:03:56]It's in your media. It's in the the music you listen to.

[00:04:01]It's all some and siop, right? It's a manipulation.

[00:04:06]It's all a lie. And it it touches everything. Like you can't escape it.

[00:04:12]You know what I'm saying? Like it's so rampant.

[00:04:18]And I'm I'm talking to him about this and he's like, you know, but at the end of the day, what can you do, right? And it's just you just can't let it control your emotions. You can't let the algorithm get you all tossed up in Maybe I'm supposed to be insane.

[00:04:40]Maybe this is supposed to make you furious. Maybe this isn't supposed to make sense. It's supposed to make you question it. Maybe all of these emotions that you're trying to regulate with drugs and pills and and distractions, you're supposed to be feeling because it's supposed to motivate you to do something about it. We're sold this like dream, right? You can do it all. A woman can do everything. And damn right, we can, right? We can. I just don't want to. I don't want to. I'm tired. I'm tired. I just want to I just want to live. I'm tired. Like hey, you know what's great about being a woman? You can like work and make your own money and then you can take care of your kids. And you're just like, when? When When am I going to do all of that? Like when When is that going to happen? Because, you know, I I clock in for one job and then get home and clock in for the next one.

[00:05:37]I probably am going through some midlife crisis where I've given every ounce of myself to a company.

[00:05:47]Um, climb this ladder to be somebody.

[00:05:50]And really the most important thing to me is being a mom. And I And my kids are getting older. I don't know. Maybe I'm just going through it. I could just be just be going through it cuz I turned 40 and my kids are getting older, but I am just having these moments of just like, what what am I doing? You know, I feel like there's, you know, I don't know. I don't know. I don't have any answer. Hey, I've come to the realization lately that my nervous system is fried.

[00:06:21]Like my nervous system is so damaged from years of trauma, years of stress and anxiety.

[00:06:29]Like I'm at a place now where I'm I'm prioritizing calmness, peace, slowing down. You know what I'm saying? Like I try to do everything at a slow, controlled pace.

[00:06:41]Like let's say that I'm late for work.

[00:06:44]I ain't about to rush to to get to work cuz no matter how much I rush, I'm still late anyway. So I'm about to take my time. If I can't find the keys, I ain't rushing to find the keys.

[00:06:56]I'mma find the keys in due time. You know what I'm saying? Like I'm just try If I'm washing my dishes, I'm about to actually just immerse myself in in the process of washing the dishes, not rushing to get it over with or just anything that I'm doing. You know what I'm saying? Like my nervous system fried and I need a break and I deserve that.

[00:07:17]Like Like I don't even like I don't know if y'all can relate. Like if when my phone ring, if it's if my phone ring, especially if it's not on vibrate and it actually ring, that just triggers anxiety because I've experienced phone calls that were bad. You know what I'm saying? That was like real tragic on the other line. You know what I'm saying? And and I haven't recovered.

[00:07:40]And like it when people even when people say my name, if somebody like yells my name, bro, it makes my skin boil. Like I just I don't know, bro. I'm just I just I got to give my my nervous system a rest.

[00:07:55]I'm tired of being in in in fight or flight mode, you know what I'm saying?

[00:08:00]All the time.

[00:08:03]I just want a life that's peaceful, that's calm, that's still.

[00:08:07]You know what I mean?

[00:08:09]Can you relate to this? Do Do Do anybody relate to this?

[00:08:13]My roommate and I are thinking about how COVID happened and it changed our entire society. Now we just kind of moved on from it and we didn't think about at all how it affected us and we didn't talk about it at all the way families just don't talk about trauma and just dump it under the rug and move on. That's what's happened and now everyone is wondering why society sucks and why there was this downfall and why people are feeling lonely and everything is horrible and our political systems have completely fallen apart. But it's really because of everything that happened in COVID. It was so much more than just a health care pandemic. It just upended our society and we just don't talk about it. Like we're lonelier, we are sicker, we're more divided, things are shitty.

[00:08:56]And it's because of all the that happened in COVID and we're just not processing it. We're not processing it.

[00:09:02]I am so far past caring about saving money. I just don't care.

[00:09:06]Like the world could blow up tomorrow, hopefully.

[00:09:09]And you want me to stress about a construct? Like at some point in human history some guy just made up money and credit cards and you want me to stress about that?

[00:09:18]It's not even real. And then every time I'm like, maybe I should log in. Maybe I should stop spending money. Something huge happens. Like today I took my car in, need new tires, $2,000. Who cares?

[00:09:28]It's not even real money. I don't I don't care. Put it on a credit card. And put the $250 perfume that I want on my credit card, too. I don't care. The old me would have been like, oh my god, $2,000. What am I going to do? Now I really really truly don't care. Our generation's kind of anyway from the boomers. I'm not going to buy a house. What the am I saving for?

[00:09:44]Why would I Why would I forego my current happiness for the fake promise of if you save your money, you can retire at 65. I'm not retiring. I'll probably die before then.

[00:09:54]>> just me or are all of the millennials right now seeing everything going on and just going Yeah, okay. Add it to the list of everything that we've seen.

[00:10:05]It's there's like a weird numbness that's just like I don't know.

[00:10:10]I was reminded today of why it's very very challenging to socialize and go out when you're awake.

[00:10:18]It is. I just had a lovely breakfast with an old acquaintance that I hadn't seen in years and she invited me and I said yes.

[00:10:26]And we spent about an hour talking about our kids and their college plans and um what else did we talk about? Oh, all just the strongholds of life, how hard it is to be an adult, yada yada yada and the entire time I was just thinking I I have to get out of here and this is why I can't do this. Like I I can't spend an hour just shooting the It's so draining. And with everything that's going on, I either want to be talking about the shift in consciousness and what is happening or I want to be talking about what you are building or creating or I want to be talking about what you're super excited about or I want to be talking about a reflection, a realization you've had about your life, a new awareness. That's that's what I need to talk about cuz if not, I want to jump out of my skin.

[00:11:19]I can't. I I can't shoot the anymore. I'm incapable.

[00:11:24]It's draining and now I'm drained.

[00:11:26]And I'm going to go home and I'm going to recoup my energy and in about 6 months or so, maybe I'll be able to have coffee with an unconscious person again.

[00:11:37]I know I'm not the only one experiencing this. I think I've seen a few other videos that are pretty much about the same. But I'm going to call what I'm experiencing life fatigue.

[00:11:52]It's if I had to define it, I would say the tiredness that you have from just living life.

[00:12:05]Everything seems to just be a little harder.

[00:12:10]Um the struggle to make ends meet.

[00:12:13]Um to sometimes get through the day, to even get out of bed in the morning. And I sleep 8 hours every night. I should jump right out of bed, but um I haven't been doing that lately. I've been feeling just that little extra tired.

[00:12:30]Could be that I need to lose weight. Uh definitely related to my age, I know.

[00:12:36]Um but I don't think I'm the only one.

[00:12:39]So, I question everybody out there.

[00:12:43]Are you feeling exhausted for really no reason?

[00:12:47]Um what do you guys think it is?

[00:12:53]I don't know.

[00:12:54]Tell me.

[00:12:55]Okay, what is up with not wanting to leave the house like ever for any reason? Work, fun things, nothing. Don't want to do it.

[00:13:03]Like is it an age thing? Is this seasonal depression?

[00:13:08]Like I just don't leave my house unless it's a trip. If it's a trip, I'm there.

[00:13:12]But anything else, I just no. Mhm. I don't know who needs to hear this, but I am so tired of pretending like this all feels normal.

[00:13:24]Lately, I feel like I spend my whole day walking around in public trying to figure out if I can say what I'm actually thinking. It It blows my mind how many people are acting like nothing is happening, just going about their daily lives. I was at a community event.

[00:13:44]Um you know, shaking hands, smiling, doing the the normal thing. And someone says, "Everything seems to be going really great lately." And for a second, I almost answer honestly. I almost say, "Is it? Or are we all just white-knuckling our way through whatever fresh hell is happening today?"

[00:14:08]But I don't. I nod. I give a professional answer. "Yeah, uh we're just doing our best." And then we smile and move on. But the second that conversation ends, my brain is already spiraling because I can feel how thin that moment was, how close it was to being real. Instead, we just keep performing normal. We move on to the next polite conversation like we're all not feeling this shared sense of something is very wrong. And honestly, that is what is exhausting. Not just what's happening, but the energy it takes to pretend it isn't. I catch myself doing these little tests all day, dropping comments, watching reactions, trying to figure out who else feels it.

[00:15:03]And I am so tired of answering, "How are you?" with "Fine."

[00:15:10]I am not fine.

[00:15:11]We are not fine. We are worried about the future and stability and about things that we can't even explain yet.

[00:15:21]And what really messes with my head is the small talk. I have never liked small talk, but now now it's really bad.

[00:15:31]Sometimes it honestly feels so surreal.

[00:15:35]Like I'm talking about the weather, meanwhile on the inside my gut is screaming, "This is not fine." So yeah, that's that's how it's going. I'm a holding it together in public, meanwhile my head feels like it's about to explode. Tell me you understand what I mean.

[00:15:56]In the past 6 years, I have lost all interest in doing anything. I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to see anybody. I don't want to make any plans for anything. I mean, I don't have any hobbies. I don't really have any friends and I just don't do anything anymore.

[00:16:14]And I mean, I'm 58 now. Is it something to do with my age or is it the last 6 years? Because I used to do things. I used to want to go places. I used to want to see people and join in in activities and go out and do things and make plans. And now the thought of making a plan or having to go somewhere and do something, like even if I have an appointment, I'm like dreading it. I think about it for days and think like I just really don't want to go do that.

[00:16:44]And I just have no joy in doing anything. Now, I should I should preface. I Yes, I have a dog. I love my dog. Every day when I come home from work, I can't wait to go and go outside and be in beautiful nature and my beautiful surroundings and >> [gasps] >> get some fresh air and walk my dog. And I'm trying to get back into yoga. I'm really trying. I think it's been almost 2 weeks where I'm just trying to do little home practices to just try to Kumbaya myself into >> [laughter] >> enjoying something again, but I don't want to do anything anymore. And I used to be the person that I couldn't wait to go to a concert. I couldn't wait to make plans. I wanted to travel everywhere. I went on a vacation every year.

[00:17:29]Um I just I had friends. I did things. I looked forward to things. Like I had things that I looked forward to doing and I don't look forward to anything. I just go to work and come home and I look forward to going for a walk with my dog and eating and [clears throat] maybe watching half an hour of some stupid reality show on Netflix and that's about it. And part of it is yeah, I guess we can't afford to do anything anymore. Um like even groceries are so depressing. I used to actually love going grocery shopping. Now I I have like anxiety to go grocery shopping because half the things I have to put back because I can't afford them.

[00:18:10]And I never thought I would feel that way. I mean, I think I used to feel that way when I first moved out when I was like a teenager and you know, you used to only have so much money. And now I'm thinking here I am and I'm 58 now and I'm feeling the same way I did when I was 18 that I can't I have to put something back on the shelf because I can't afford it. Um I don't want to go out. I don't even want to go get a coffee somewhere because I just think, "Oh, I really shouldn't be spending that money." But besides that, I just I really don't even want to. I have no interest or no desire to go and do anything. And I'm just wondering, am I alone in this? I know I've talked about this before, but I just feel like I know there's got to be other people out there like me that are feeling the same way. But then I talk to people and they've got like tons of plans or they want to just do all these things and I'm thinking, "That sounds horrible."

[00:19:04]>> [laughter] >> Like I would never want to do that. I had I had my hairdresser ask me the other day, "Like do you think you'll ever go out on dates again? Like do you think you'd ever want to I'm like, "Dates? Oh. Oh my gosh. I couldn't even imagine if I was having to get ready to go meet a stranger and go out and make small talk and pretend I'm having a good time." Not say pretend, they could be a nice person. I shouldn't say that, but I I I think no, that sounds like hell.

[00:19:33]Like I don't want to do that. And I used to really get excited about stuff like that. I used to love getting dressed up and going to meet somebody and it was exciting and you know, I'd be singing in my bathroom. And now I think like absolutely not.

[00:19:50]>> [laughter] >> So, is it just me or is this just the way the world is now or are there happy people out there that are just enjoying life and doing things? Am I just depressed? Like what is it? What has happened in the last 6 years where everything has changed and I just feel like I'm never going to get that excitement back or that desire or passion to do anything anymore?

[00:20:16]Do you also feel just totally different since 2020? And I don't mean different like about the world and politics. This isn't I'm not even talking about politics. But since the pandemic, I just do not feel like the same person. Now, I did get COVID four times and I did have long COVID, non-vaccinated long COVID.

[00:20:42]But just in my soul, like Heather, who I am in the world, moving through my life, my day-to-day, my normal, I just don't feel the same anymore.

[00:20:55]There's a little bit of loss of joy, but I kind of I've gotten the loss of joy back, I guess I should say, but lack of curiosity, a lack of like a whimsical feeling about life and doing things.

[00:21:10]It's sort of like nothing really has the same meaning anymore. Like I would get giddy and butterflies in the past over different things. It could be a vacation.

[00:21:22]You know, you get sparks. You get You get lit up by stuff. People, events, concerts. I just don't feel the same about things anymore. And I know some of you may say, "Oh, it's it's ascension. There's an awakening." I'm not even talking that metaphysical. I'm not talking politics and I'm not talking super woo-woo.

[00:21:47]But in between those two things, just me as a person waking up every day with the same motivation and drive and I used to just get filled up in a different way, even on my walks.

[00:22:03]Um it it's just different. It's just changed. And I wanted to share this with you guys in case you, like me, just don't have the same uh level of importance, intensity, desire for stuff. Here's a great one. I used to love to shop. I used to love to have certain things, whatever it was trending. I'd go to the mall. I'd find certain shoes, a handbag, whatever. I could not care less. I mean, and when I see other people I have no desire to have what they have or be who they are. So, like if somebody has the it handbag I don't care. I'm not even paying attention to it. I don't want anything anymore.

[00:22:49]I don't want a house. I don't want kids, any more kids. I don't want a relationship. I'm not looking for a partner or a marriage. I'm not looking for a dream job. I'm not looking for a dream career. I don't want to go back to school. I don't really want to learn any more hobbies. I don't want to do anything. I feel broken. Like I feel like I've lost all motivation to live and to try to achieve things because I really don't feel like it matters and I feel like all of this is a filthy scheme and trick. And I'mma be honest, COVID is what acknowledged or what excited the acknowledgement of this in me and I cannot go back to normal. I don't know how y'all are doing it. So, anyone else like just not feel like doing anything? Like I don't feel like doing anything recently.

[00:23:44]I be I uh I don't want to go anywhere or nothing I really do, but >> [sighs] >> Like I'm not depressed or anything. I'm not sitting here like, "Oh."

[00:23:58]You know, that's that's not what's digging at Well, nothing's really digging at me, I guess. Just I don't feel like doing anything. And in the minute I start doing it, like you try to force yourself to do it, you know, like, "Oh, maybe if I just maybe I just dive into it, my body and mind will be like, 'Hey, we're up. We're we're going. We're moving.'" No.

[00:24:18]I just I just I just go uh I don't care. I can't be bothered.

[00:24:24]I don't know why.

[00:24:27]I don't know why. I never feel like mentally attracted anymore.

[00:24:32]Um going for that hike over the weekend was like one of the most exciting things I've done in a while. But I just don't want to do anything.

[00:24:44]Like I just like it like almost physically pains me to do something. I don't know why. Are the things that used to be enjoyable, creative, and fun no longer enjoyable anymore? Like every single thing just seems like it's changed so drastically.

[00:25:02]Netflix doesn't feel the same. The shows on all these streaming apps are no longer exciting to watch. You look at the old shows, the old cartoons. Disney Channel's no longer what it used to be.

[00:25:14]Disney shows are no longer what it used to be. Disney movies. Everything is just changing, you know? And you know, you have so many different reboots. You have so many different remasters for video games. Every movie that you see has some kind of woke ideology to it.

[00:25:31]It's just I can't like I don't know if I'm just boring or I'm just getting older or something cuz I'm only 27, but I don't know what's going on. It's like nothing keeps my interest anymore. It's like nothing holds me and I don't know why. Like does does anyone else feel like this or is it just me? Cuz I got to know. This is this is weird to me. Well, I know at times I feel very disconnected from society. Um and I intentionally disconnect because of just a lot of the I don't know, riffraff I see around me.

[00:26:01]I mean, between so many people not having the same mindset, um like really taking things just kind of out of proportion. Like you can't even have a conversation with people anymore. Um and I'm not saying everybody, but a lot of people. It's like you can't even voice your opinion without it becoming a fight, you know? Um whatever happened to being able to agree to disagree and just have a conversation, have a respectable, you know, friendly debate. Um it's getting harder and harder. And you know, you'll go into social settings. I find that people aren't that social. Um the social skills are lacking, the hospitality, the kindness uh the warmth. It's missing and um you know, you you always have to watch out that somebody's not trying to rip you off, you know, and there's scams all the time. I mean, there's like a lot that's going on and I am an optimistic person. I know I'm I'm just kind of naming a bunch of negative things and it may sound like I'm pessimistic, but I am a realist and that's how I see myself and I am very optimistic and that's why my family and I we we do things and we make changes to uh better our situation and we aim for that and we don't just, you know, throw our hands up and say, "Oh, well, this is life and life sucks and I'm just going to stay disconnected." Um I think everybody needs to, you know, push forward and realize that we are living in a very difficult time and it's extremely hard to cope with these things with the rising costs, inflation, not being able to maybe own a home, maybe not being able to sell your home, finding great community around you, feeling like there's always some kind of impending doom that's going on that you need to prepare for. There's so much that's going on and it's natural to feel like you want to pull back. Um I think it's okay to pull back, regroup, and then kind of like an arrow, you know, just launch yourself in a different direction. Um you know, and not just give up on life and not just stay feeling disconnected.

[00:27:58]The internet is a two-edged sword use it for the better. Find ways to connect with people. Uh find groups.

[00:28:06]Maybe you could find um local uh groups in your area. Um people that are like-minded in different regards. So, for me, I like to meet people that are into farming, growing their own food, people that are into um traditional skills, traditional living, uh you know, homeschooling groups. I mean, I just anybody that's along that mindset, for me, it's like those are my people.

[00:28:33]>> [laughter] >> Because uh we're all about working towards becoming self-sufficient, self-reliant um as much as possible.

[00:28:42]Nobody's going to be 100% and I hope one day I could even be 50%, you know? But the the aim is to try and not just say, "Well, you can never be self-reliant.

[00:28:52]You can never um you know, do this or that, so just give up." I mean, since when is that the solution? So, I think it's silly when people say that, but to each their own, you know? And really with everybody, whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right. So, believe that you can and um work on taking steps every day. And if you're feeling disconnected, work on trying to find ways to connect with good people, good like-minded people around you, whatever that is, um whoever that may be. There are people out there. Don't don't think that you are alone. You know, you're never alone. And um I just want to make sure that I share that information with you guys today. That that encouragement, that little bit of encouragement. And um yeah, you know, it's still early on in the year. There's a lot that's going to be happening, but there's a lot of good things that we all can do to better our mindset, better our situation, and uh it takes work and it takes effort, but it is possible and it's possible for you. So, I hope that encourages you. Thank you for watching.

[00:29:57]Thank you for being here and hanging out with me today. If you haven't seen my vlog channel, She Prepares, um I'll put a link down below to that, but it's um just a little bit more behind the scenes of uh my life, my family's life, my thoughts on just everyday and things that we're doing um just as we move along through this crazy world that we're in right now. But anyways, I'll put the link down below for that. Thank you for being here. I appreciate you. Take care and I'll catch you in the next one.