'My body refused to move at 6 am': Bengaluru CA on burnout after once working 14-hour a day for 6 months
Feb 4, 2026
Synopsis
A Bengaluru chartered accountant's story of burnout after six months of extreme work hours has sparked online conversation. Her body shut down, forcing her to re-evaluate success and implement strict boundaries, including no work after 8 pm and dedicated days off. These changes surprisingly boosted her productivity and stabilized her mental health.
Burnout often creeps in quietly, disguised as ambition and discipline, until the body forces a pause. A Bengaluru-based chartered accountant has now sparked a wider conversation online after sharing how months of relentless work pushed her to a breaking point. Her experience has struck a chord with professionals who normalise exhaustion in the name of success, only to realise too late that the cost is far greater than expected.
Bengaluru CA Meenal Goel, an ex-KPMG and Deloitte employee, recently took to social media to share how her body shut down after six straight months of extreme work hours. She revealed that for half a year, her days began at 6 am and stretched until 11 pm, with weekends blending into regular workdays and vacations reduced to working remotely with a laptop always open.
The breaking point came on a Tuesday morning. Her alarm rang at 6 am, but she was unable to get out of bed. It wasn’t exhaustion in the usual sense or a lack of motivation. Her body simply refused to move. Until that moment, she had convinced herself that this level of sacrifice was necessary for building a business and proving commitment.
Days earlier, her body had already begun sending warning signals. During a client call, she suddenly felt uneasy. Her heart started racing, her breathing became difficult, and she was forced to abruptly end the conversation. That moment made her confront a reality she had been avoiding. While she was focused on building a business, she was simultaneously breaking herself down.
She began questioning the very idea of success she had been chasing. What was the point of achieving milestones if she was too drained to enjoy them or even function normally? In response, Meenal Goel made deliberate changes to her routine. She decided there would be no work after 8 pm, not even quick emails. Sundays were set aside as complete days off, with her phone on silent. She also committed to picking up one hobby that had nothing to do with work or productivity.
Within nearly a week of making these changes, she noticed an unexpected shift. Her productivity improved instead of declining, and her mental health finally began to stabilise.
Reflecting on the experience, she pointed out how hustle culture often glorifies burnout while ignoring its long-term damage. In her view, burnout does not build empires, it quietly destroys them. She also emphasised a lesson many professionals learn too late: you cannot pour from an empty cup, and rest is not a sign of laziness but a strategic necessity. Her post ended with a question that resonated widely online, prompting others to reflect on their own experiences with burnout and recovery.
[The Economic Times]
