- Ever skipped a family function because of work?
- Refused your wife’s dinner plans just because you were too exhausted?
- Missed your child’s parent-teacher meeting because you just didn’t have the time?
- Ever told your mother, “Nahi Maa aaj nahi, kal chalte hai doctor ke paas.”
- Or, better yet, have you ever found yourself muttering in frustration while drowning in work?
If any of this sounds familiar, congrats! You are officially trapped in the overwork cycle.
This 9 to 6 (which, let’s be real, is more like 9 to infinity) is not just a job. It’s a never ending hamster wheel that sucks away everything:
- Your personal life
- Your health
- Your sleep
- Your mental peace
- And worst of all-your time!
And what do you get in return? Frustration, stress, and a corporate system that will replace you the second they find someone better.
No one talks about this, but don’t worry, you and I will discuss it.
70-90 hours of work? Are you insane?
Not too long ago, N. R. Narayana Murthy said that young Indians should work 70 hours a week to boost the country’s productivity.
Then, L&T’s chairman S. N. Subrahmanyan went a step further and said, “Why stop at 70? Employees should work 90 hours a week, including Sundays!”
Are you serious?
If we actually follow this logic, then we better be ready for:
- Hypertension
- Anxiety
- Cardiac attacks
- Complete isolation from family
- Living inside office cubicles, staring at screens until we drop dead
But here’s what nobody is saying, what does the employee get in return?
- No special benefits for working longer
- No job security even after sacrificing everything
Think about it, if you work 70-90 hours a week and someone smarter and younger replaces you, what happens then?
Boom! You are back on job portals, searching for another job that will exploit you just the same.
Overwork is killing you, but nobody cares
Let’s talk about facts. Overwork is not just about stress, it’s destroying your body and mind.
Studies show that working more than 10 hours a day increases the risk of:
- Hypertension and heart disease by 60%
- Obesity and diabetes by 45%
- Anxiety and depression three times more than normal
Now tell me, when was the last time you had a proper eight hour sleep?
When was the last time you ate a meal without checking emails?
When was the last time you actually felt healthy?
Exactly. This lifestyle is slowly killing you.
And let’s not forget the medical bills that pile up because of this corporate induced stress.
So even if you are earning well, half your salary goes to doctors, medicines, and stress relief activities.
It’s like running on a treadmill, no matter how fast you go, you are going nowhere.
The family you are working for? You are losing them.
Overwork does not just steal your health. It slowly rips apart your family and relationships.
- When was the last time you had a proper conversation with your wife?
- When was the last time your child excitedly shared something with you, and you actually listened?
- When was the last time you sat with your parents without checking your phone?
Most middle class people have become ‘weekend parents.’ Their kids grow up seeing their backs more than their faces.
And because work stress follows you home, even personal moments turn into frustration, irritation, and fights.
No wonder so many marriages are falling apart.
Work life balance? Never heard of it.
More work = More money? HA HA! The biggest myth ever
Tell me one thing, if working longer hours made people rich, would not security guards and delivery boys be millionaires by now?
The harsh truth is:
- More work does not mean more money.
- You don’t get paid extra for extra hours.
- Your expenses increase (medical, stress relief, food, transport).
- You are stuck in an endless cycle of earning and spending.
So, where’s the financial freedom?
Where’s the ‘Mehnat ka phal zaroor milta hai’ wali kahani?
Nowhere.
The middle class trap: A loop that never ends
The middle class works the hardest but remains the most stuck.
- You work extra to earn more money.
- More money = More EMI, higher rent, school fees, and increasing expenses.
- You take on even more work to keep up with rising costs.
- Before you know it, your entire life is spent in survival mode.
At 30, you are already on BP medication.
At 40, corporate starts looking for your younger replacement.
At 50, you are job insecure and mentally exhausted.
At 60, you finally retire, but at what cost?
Our Indian working women? Double the work, zero support
If we are talking about overwork, let’s spare a thought for our Indian women too. Because their shift never really ends.
She spends the whole day juggling office deadlines, client calls, and non-stop meetings. But the moment she steps home? Boom! A whole new shift begins. Cooking, cleaning, managing kids, taking care of elders, whether she’s exhausted or not, the house still expects her to function like a machine.
No matter how drained she is, she does not get a break. At home, her job is 24/7, unpaid, and mostly unappreciated.
No maternity or childcare support
Most companies act like maternity leave is a luxury, not a necessity. Many women are forced to quit after childbirth because there’s no proper support. No flexible hours. No proper childcare facilities. Nothing.
And if she dares to ask for adjustments, she’s seen as a liability.
Meanwhile, a male employee with kids? No questions asked. No career setbacks.
The second shift: Office work ends, house work begins
A man comes home from work, kicks off his shoes, and relaxes.
A woman comes home from work… and enters round two.
- Cooking dinner while still on work calls.
- Cleaning up after everyone like it’s an unpaid part-time job.
- Helping kids with homework while trying to finish office deadlines.
- Managing groceries, laundry, and 500 other things no one even notices.
Nobody asks, ‘Tumhara din kaisa raha?’
Nobody cares, ‘Tumhe kitni thakaan hai.’
The house just expects her to do it all. She’s not just an employee at work, she’s a chef, cleaner, tutor, nurse, event planner, and emotional support system at home.
And the best part? No salary. No appreciation. No breaks.
Work from home? More like work from everywhere!
Some people think work from home is a blessing for women. But in reality, it’s a trap.
Why? Because ‘Ghar pe ho na?’ automatically means:
- ‘Toh thoda khaana bana do.’
- ‘Zara bartan dhul jaayenge?’
- ‘Bachon ka dhyan rakh lo na, waise bhi ghar pe hi toh ho.’
So now, she’s expected to do office work and housework at the same time.
Meetings happen with a crying baby in the background.
Deadlines are chased between making chapatis and doing laundry.
And if she ever complains? ‘Par tum toh ghar se hi kaam karti ho na!’
No one cares how tired she is
A working woman wakes up before everyone, sleeps after everyone, and still gets told, ‘Tum saara din karti hi kya ho?’
She sacrifices her health, her sleep, and her peace of mind… yet she’s constantly judged.
If the house is messy? Her fault.
If kids misbehave? Her fault.
If she prioritises work? She’s selfish.
If she prioritises home? She’s not serious about her career.
A man works and comes home to rest.
A woman works and comes home to more work.
It’s not normal for a woman to work herself to exhaustion every single day.
And if we keep ignoring this, soon, we won’t just have overworked employees… we will have overworked, burnt-out women who have nothing left to give.
Overwork is killing everyone. But for women, it’s a slow, silent death.
Social pressure and guilt
Society glorifies overwork as ‘hard work.’
If you are not constantly busy, people think you are lazy or unambitious.
Ever felt guilty for taking a break?
Ever compared yourself to someone who works three jobs?
This toxic mindset is why people sacrifice their mental peace just to keep up.
How to escape
Set boundaries at work
- Learn to say ‘NO’ to unrealistic demands.
- Work ends when you leave the office, don’t bring it home.
Stop falling for the ‘Hustle Culture’ scam
- Life is not a race. If you die early, your company will replace you within a week.
- Take breaks, prioritise your health over your work.
Don’t be a corporate machine!
You were not born to work until you drop dead.
If your job is stealing your health, happiness, and family time, it’s not a job, it’s a trap.
Corporate does not care about you.
They want profit, not your well being.
So, what will you do?
- Keep working like a machine until they replace you?
- Or wake up, take control, and live life on your own terms?
The choice is yours. Work smart, not just hard.
