Definition: The slow, invisible accumulation of health damage from simply surviving modern life. It’s the cortisol spikes from endless bills, the lung gunk from city smog, the muscle atrophy from desk-dwelling, and the existential dread of knowing you’re both the hamster and the wheel.
This toxic sludge brews in your body while you’re too busy doomscrolling or working doubles to notice. Symptoms include chronic “why bother?” fatigue, teeth ground to nubs, and a soul slowly dissolving like sugar in cheap gas-station coffee.
Example:
Ignoring the back pain and constant low-grade headache, he powered through another overtime shift, adding to his body’s silent burden of stress and neglect.
Her daily commute through exhaust fumes and the soul-crushing office routine left her perpetually drained, a dull ache echoing the grind.