If you had to pick one word to describe the collective mood of 2022, what would it be? For millions around the globe, that word would be Restless.
It wasn’t the frantic, panicked energy of 2020. It wasn’t the weary, hopeful limbo of 2021. 2022 was something else entirely. It was the year we were supposed to “get back to normal,” only to discover that the old normal no longer existed, and the new one felt… unsettled. It was a year of quiet quitting and loud career changes, of wanderlust and rootlessness, of digital fatigue and a desperate craving for something real.
This pervasive feeling was so potent it even birthed its own cultural artifact: the Netflix film Restless, a documentary that captured a specific, raw slice of this anxiety. But the restlessness of 2022 was far bigger than any single story. It was a global undercurrent, a shared psychic tremor that defined the year.
The Roots of the Restlessness: A Perfect Storm
This feeling didn’t emerge from a vacuum. It was the culmination of a multi-year pressure cooker.
- The Post-Pandemic Hangover: By 2022, the immediate threat of the pandemic had receded for many, but its psychological scars remained. We had spent two years in a state of high alert, our lives contracted to the confines of our homes. In 2022, the walls came down, and the expectation was to burst forth with joy. But many of us found our social muscles atrophied, our comfort zones shrunken. The world outside felt too loud, too fast, too demanding. This created a deep cognitive dissonance: we were supposed to be happy, but we often felt overwhelmed and anxious. We were restless for connection, yet uncomfortable with it.
- The “Return to Normal” Mirage: Companies demanded a return to the office. Social calendars filled up. It was as if the world had pressed “play” on a 2019 script. But we, the actors, had changed. The profound period of reflection during lockdowns had forced us to question the very foundations of our lives: the endless commute, the toxic productivity, the hamster wheel of consumption. The “old normal” felt like a ill-fitting suit. We were restless for a life with more meaning, but the structures of society were pushing us back into the old mold.
- Global Instability and “Doomscrolling”: Just as we were catching our breath, 2022 unleashed a torrent of global anxiety. The war in Ukraine, escalating climate disasters, political polarization, and soaring inflation created a constant background hum of dread. Our phones became portals of despair, feeding a cycle of “doomscrolling” that left us feeling powerless and agitated. This was a macro-level restlessness—a feeling that the world itself was on shaky ground, and there was little we could do about it.
How the Restlessness Manifested: The “Great” Shake-Ups
This internal churning didn’t stay internal. It erupted in tangible, often dramatic, ways that defined the cultural and economic landscape of 2022.
- The Great Resignation & Quiet Quitting: This was the most direct economic expression of the restlessness. People weren’t just leaving jobs; they were leaving lifestyles. They were rejecting burnout culture and seeking roles that offered purpose, flexibility, and respect. For those who stayed, “quiet quitting” became the mantra—a form of silent protest where employees did the bare minimum required, reclaiming their mental energy and personal time. It was a collective sigh of, “I’m done with giving my all to a cause that doesn’t give back.”
- The Re-evaluation of Relationships: Lockdowns forced us to scrutinize our immediate circles. By 2022, people were making active, often difficult, choices about their relationships. Friendships that no longer served them were allowed to fade. Marriages were reassessed. There was a renewed emphasis on “chosen family” and deep, meaningful connections over large, superficial networks. The restlessness here was for authenticity in our human bonds.
- An Explosion of Wanderlust: With travel restrictions lifting, the desire to move was explosive. But this wasn’t just a vacation; it was a pilgrimage. People were seeking to feel something again—the awe of a new landscape, the disorientation of a foreign language, the thrill of being a stranger. This travel was a physical manifestation of the inner desire to break free from the monotony that had defined the previous years.
The Netflix Film: “Restless” as a Case Study
The documentary Restless, directed by Emil Nava, landed on Netflix in 2022 and served as a perfect, albeit intense, case study of this feeling. The film follows real-life couple Camille and Sasha as they navigate the turbulent waters of new parenthood, creative ambitions, and mental health struggles.
Camille’s restlessness is palpable. She is torn between her identity as a mother and her burning desire to reignite her music career. She feels trapped, agitated, and desperate for an outlet for her creative energy. The film doesn’t offer easy answers. Instead, it holds a mirror to the chaotic, often contradictory, emotions of someone trying to find their footing in a life that feels like it’s happening to them, not for them.
While not everyone’s experience was as dramatic as Camille’s, the core themes resonated deeply: the struggle for identity, the fear of being trapped, the agonizing search for a path that feels true to oneself. The film gave a name and a face to the vague unease so many were feeling.
Navigating the Restlessness: From Agitation to Action
So, if you felt this way in 2022 (or still do), what can you do? How can you channel this uncomfortable energy into something constructive?
- Name It and Validate It: The first step is to acknowledge the feeling without judgment. You are not broken or alone. You are responding to a deeply unusual and stressful series of global events. Giving the feeling a name—”I am feeling restless”—robs it of some of its power.
- Embrace Micro-Adventures: You don’t need to quit your job and move to Bali to break the cycle. A micro-adventure—trying a new recipe, taking a different route on your walk, visiting a museum you’ve never been to, talking to a stranger in a coffee shop—can inject a small dose of novelty that satisfies the restless brain’s craving for newness.
- Curate Your Inputs: The restlessness is often fueled by a chaotic information diet. Be ruthless. Mute triggering news alerts. Unfollow accounts that make you feel inadequate or anxious. Create digital spaces that inspire and calm you. Replace doomscrolling with a book, a podcast, or a conversation.
- Seek Connection, Not Just Content: The antidote to existential restlessness is often genuine human connection. Instead of scrolling through a friend’s photos, call them. Instead of a text, suggest a walk. Prioritize face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) interactions that build a sense of belonging and shared reality.
- Redefine “Productivity”: Let go of the 2019 definition of success. Your worth is not your output. Productivity can look like resting, setting a boundary, spending an hour on a hobby, or simply being present with your family. Redirect your energy from what you should be doing to what feels meaningful.
Conclusion: The Restless Seed of Growth
In hindsight, the great restlessness of 2022 was not a malfunction; it was a reckoning. It was the sound of a global wake-up call. The pandemic was a traumatic, collective pause button that forced us to look at our lives with unflinching clarity. When the pause ended, we couldn’t unsee what we had witnessed.
The restless feeling was, and is, the growing pains of transformation. It’s the discomfort that precedes evolution. It’s the signal that the old skin no longer fits and a new one is waiting to be grown.
So, if you find yourself still carrying a piece of that 2022 restlessness, don’t rush to smother it. Listen to it. What is it trying to tell you? What small change is it urging you to make? Perhaps it’s not a monster to be slain, but a compass—pointing you, however unsteadily, toward a life that is more authentically, deeply, and peacefully your own. The stillness, it seems, must be earned, not found. And the journey out of restlessness begins with a single, intentional step.
