how Duolingo alarms me about my mental health.

people knows me know that i am a Duolingo fan (in fact, i applied for them twice – failed, still a fan.).

i’m on an (impressive) 644-day streak on this app, roaming from French, Chinese, Japanese, Klingon, Korean and even venturing to Duolingo Math & Music for the sake of exploration.

more than just a language learning platform, Duolingo is a daily reminder of my interest in the EdTech industry.

until recently, i realized that Duolingo serves another, unexpected role in my life: it’s a daily mental health tracker.

here’s how.

i had a crazy week this week. there were days when the workload was so overwhelming that i just had to asking a close friend to wake me up at 4 AM just so I could get a head start on my tasks.

and throughout the week, there were times that i felt like i forgot to breathe.

and just now, when I checked my Duolingo app, a particular detail caught my eye.

on the days when I was up before dawn, struggling to juggle my responsibilities, those were the days I found myself using my streak freezes—a feature that allows you to maintain your streak without actually completing a lesson.

further reflection showed a clear pattern.

when i compared my daily Duolingo experience points with a friend’s, o noticed that the points I earned were a direct reflection of my daily energy levels.

on days when exhaustion was my overriding feeling, i would just manage to do the bare minimum on the app, perhaps a quick 5XP lesson just to keep the streak alive.

on days when i felt slightly more energized, i would push through a few more substantial lessons, earning up to 60XP.

and this pattern was alarming.

it wasn’t just about maintaining a streak or mastering a new language anymore but it’s just flagged alarming to me how i’m deprioritizing myself, my interest in language learning and learning about EdTech.

the insight brought on a flurry of emotions and questions.

it was disheartening to realize that i had been more and more ignorant on my own needs to the point where even my hobbies—a source of joy and relaxation—were becoming mere items on a checklist.

as i write this, struggling to articulate these revelations, i find myself being surrounded by question.

should i be scared?

how did i let it get this bad?

what does this say about my priorities or the way I manage my work?

and as I am saddened by how the fast pace of life sometimes just didn’t leave room for introspection, i do feel blessed that i am more aware of the accumulating stress thanks to having a bare minimum tracking system before it burst out.

i’m working on it.

and i hope this week has been kind to you, dear.