Burnout will not be My badge

​When I landed in Hyderabad city 12 years ago, no one warned me about the hustle culture which comes along with a paycheck. The naive me, donned in fresh formals, started with sprinting in the rat race where the professional pace is relentless. Over the years, I realized that there is, and there will always be a part of workforce who will wear exhaustion as a status symbol. It is about time to debunk that myth!

A packed Outlook calendar is a strict no-no for me now. I cannot, anymore, stare at the back-to-back calls, losing myself over voices that could have a precise email. Now I look for peace over chaos, and I acknowledge that burnout is the “chaos” that happens when we stop listening to our internal limits. It is that point when your tea gets cold while you type away madly at your laptop. What harm will a 2-minute break do, whilst you sip your tea, in silence, without scrolling through your phone? We have been conditioned to believe that it is of paramount importance to prove our worth only through exhaustion.

I have been mindfully trying to change the core narrative, which glorifies exhaustion in work and extracurricular activities. Since when did, not having a plan over the weekend , become a shame? One needs to learn to steer clear of the clutter of social obligations and introduce personal lifestyle boundaries. There should not be any shame in choosing the gym in free time over hitting the nightclubs. Likewise, having a digital detox once in a while should be encouraged more. I recall that one of my fellow co-worker had a no-phone Tuesday where he left his phone at home and used only his work station phone if required. Otherwise, he made sure at least on Tuesdays, he was able to hold a conversation with his colleagues without the crutch called the phone.

Once upon a time, I used to think working over weekends was very normal because you grow in professional life by following your seniors. Late-night work, dropping work status at 2 AM, and again logging early morning should be frowned upon, especially when the actual work hours are rather spent in multiple tea breaks.

Now I keep a clean calendar. I make sure I start my day slowly – soak in the sunlight while sipping on my favorite tea. I have my calendar blocked for “Focus,” which is solely dedicated to training myself in new technologies. I make sure I have a healthy meal routine and try not to jeopardize it with ad-hoc meetings. I make a plan for the next day before logging off. It has taken some time to unlearn the toxic habits, but nonetheless, I love the order from a chaotic calendar! I choose to have a glowing smile instead of a dark circle and baggy eyes telling the tale!

Do you want to stop glorifying exhaustion and trade the hustle for a sustainable rhythm? Drop your suggestions below on how you do it in your own way.

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