It’s 2025, and suddenly, AI (Artificial Intelligence) is everywhere.

Your feed is full of “10 ways to use ChatGPT to get ahead.” Professors are rewriting syllabi to catch AI-written essays. Your workplace is “experimenting with automation.” There’s a mix of awe, fear, and pressure in the air.

And if you’re a high-achieving young adult, the pressure hits different.

You’re already trying to navigate school or work, social expectations, a side hustle (or three), a never-ending to-do list, and the low-key existential dread of being alive during, well… all this.

So, let’s pause for a second. Because while AI is changing the way we live and work, we get to decide how it fits into our lives and how we protect our mental health along the way.

Artificial Intelligence and Mental Health

Let’s be real: burnout, hustle culture, and constant comparison have been around long before AI. Whether it was school, social media, work, or family expectations – young adults have long felt the pressure to be constantly doing, achieving, optimizing.

But AI has added a new twist.

Whether it’s TikTok’s showing someone using AI to write their paper in 10 minutes or create a week’s worth of content in an hour, the vibe is clear: If you’re not using AI to optimize your life, are you even trying?

The tools that were meant to save time can quietly become new sources of pressure:

  • To be more productive
  • To work faster
  • To never take a break
  • To keep up with systems that never get tired, distracted, or burned out

So, even though the comparison isn’t new, comparing yourself to AI creates a different kind of perfectionism—one that says, “You should be able to do it all, effortlessly and efficiently. No excuses.”

The Pressure to Keep Up With Artificial Intelligence

You’ve probably seen TikToks like:

“How I used ChatGPT to write my term paper in 20 minutes”, “this is how I got a job interview using AI to write my resume”, or “let AI plan your entire week for maximum productivity.”
Helpful? Absolutely but also overwhelming, especially if you’re already someone who struggles with perfectionism or imposter syndrome because it doesn’t just set the bar high—it makes it feel unreachable.

While these tools can save time, they can also trick us into believing that rest is only allowed once everything is done, perfect, and optimized (which, let’s be honest, never actually happens).

The obsession with productivity isn’t new, but AI can, in my opinion, amplify it. We’re in a culture that tells you your value is in your output. That every hour not spent working is time “wasted.” That if you’re not doing 10 things at once, you’re falling behind.

But you’re not designed to operate like ChatGPT or other AI platforms. You’re designed to feel, to reflect, to grow… and to rest.

The human brain wasn’t built for 24/7 optimization. It was built for curiosity, connection, creativity, and yes, even boredom.

Using Artificial Intelligence For You, Not Against You

With all that said, I’m not saying that AI is inherently bad. When used intentionally, it can actually help us in many ways.

So how can we use these tools in ways that actually support us, not stress us out?

Think of AI as an assistant, not a replacement for your humanity. It’s not here to make you a robot. It’s here to help you create more space for what matters.

Here are a few real-life ways AI can support your mental health, reduce stress, and organize your life:

Time & Schedule Management

  • Build a weekly routine around your classes, shifts, or energy levels
  • Break down big assignments into manageable steps
  • Generate reminders or calendar events for deadlines, workouts, or self-care

Lifestyle & Habits

  • Generate grocery lists or simple meal plans based on your budget
  • Plan workouts that match your mood or time constraints
  • Track habits like sleep, mood, or screen time in a way that’s non-judgey

Money & Career Planning

  • Make a basic monthly budget
  • Help you with financial literacy by translating complicated financial terms into simple language
  • Draft scripts for job negotiation or awkward money convos

Clarity & Decision-Making

  • Help you weigh pros and cons
  • Turn vague goals into clear action steps
  • Suggest paths forward when you’re stuck or overwhelmed

Artificial Intelligence can be a powerful tool, but it’s not a moral compass, a therapist, or a measure of your worth.

You get to choose how it fits into your life. You get to take what works and leave the rest. You get to be a whole, complicated, beautifully imperfect human. Because in a world that’s trying to automate everything, that is your superpower.

 

Need support navigating the pressure to “keep up” or be perfect? At Infinite Horizons Psychotherapy, we are a private clinic that provides psychotherapy for individuals (14+) and couples. We offer services in English or Spanish, and in-person sessions from our North York office or virtual across most of Canada. If your extended health benefits include Registered Psychotherapists, your sessions can be covered by your plan. You can check us out at www.infinitehorizonspsychotherapy.com

If you’re ready to start therapy but don’t know where to start, we got you! You can try our free matching quiz which will match you with one of our therapists in 30 seconds or less here. If you would rather speak with a real person, you can also email us at info@infinitehorizonspsychotherapy.com or call us at (416) 893-TALK (8255).

 

We can’t wait to meet you!