Breaking Point: Spotting Burnout Before It Breaks You - Dr Sumalatha Vasudeva

In cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Gurgaon, work doesn’t really end. Emails arrive at midnight, deadlines shift overnight, and the pressure to stay “available” never quite lets go.

Many young professionals begin their careers full of purpose and drive, but somewhere along the way, energy turns into exhaustion. What we call burnout rarely arrives suddenly. It builds slowly, often in silence, long before the body or mind gives way.

The First Hints

Burnout begins quietly. It starts with what feels like a normal stretch of tired days. Maybe sleep feels shorter, mornings harder. You start skipping breakfast, checking messages before brushing your teeth.

The irritation that used to fade after a cup of tea now lingers through the day. Small mistakes slip into your work, and you tell yourself you’re just “a little off.”

This is the prodrome, the early phase doctors talk about, when the body and mind start showing signs that are easy to overlook. Cortisol levels stay high, sleep turns light, and concentration dips. It’s not yet collapsed, but it’s the stretch of road that leads there if nothing changes.

The Trap of Overperformance

In the early stage, burnout can look like high performance. Many professionals actually double down, working longer, taking on more, chasing perfection. The more drained they feel, the harder they push. Colleagues might call it dedication, unaware that it’s really survival mode.

Coffee replaces meals. Deadlines replace weekends. Even rest starts to feel like guilt. Some develop headaches, acidity, or tightness in the chest with no clear medical reason. These are the body’s warnings that energy reserves are being drained faster than they’re rebuilt.

The Emotional Unravelling

After the body, the emotions start to give way. The most common sign is detachment. Things that once excited you, new projects, small wins, even friendly conversations, stop feeling meaningful. There’s a dullness that settles in. You still show up, still get the work done, but it feels mechanical.

Sleep becomes tricky. Either it won’t come easily, or you wake up at odd hours with your mind replaying the day. Over time, that fatigue spills into every part of life. You avoid calls, skip social plans, and find yourself irritable for no clear reason. Inside, there’s a quiet sense of running out of fuel.

What the Body Tries to Tell You

Burnout is not just emotional; it’s physical. Many people experience:

Frequent colds or low immunity.

Muscle pain or neck stiffness from long hours at desks.

Uneven heartbeat or breathlessness in moments of stress.

Digestive troubles from irregular meals.

These signs appear weeks, sometimes months, before a full crash. But because they come one by one, most people don’t connect them to stress until they’ve reached a breaking point.

Why It Hits the Young Hard

In India’s cities, young professionals face unique pressures. There’s the commute, the rent, the competition, the fear of falling behind. Many live away from family, juggling independence with isolation. Offices may offer free snacks or gym memberships, but mental downtime is rare.

There’s also a culture of proving worth through exhaustion—staying online late, skipping leave, answering emails on holidays. In this atmosphere, rest feels like weakness. That mindset makes burnout more likely, especially for people in their 20s and 30s trying to “build their careers.”

Pulling Back in Time

The earlier you notice the signs, the easier it is to recover. Simple changes can help stop the spiral:

Draw a line around work. Turn off notifications after a set hour. The world won’t collapse.

Eat properly. Warm, cooked meals and regular timing matter more than quick snacks.

Sleep deeply. Dim lights, keep phones away, and follow a set bedtime.

Move your body. Stretch between meetings, walk after lunch, or take the stairs instead of the lift.

Speak up early. Talk to a friend, colleague, or counsellor before it becomes overwhelming.

Workplaces also need to notice when people are slipping. Mental fatigue is as real as physical illness. Managers who encourage time off or quiet check-ins often prevent burnout before it becomes a crisis.

Finding Your Balance Again

Recovering from burnout takes patience. It’s not about quitting everything, it’s about rediscovering rhythm. Rest, when done right, restores. Taking a pause doesn’t mean you’re falling behind; it means you’re giving yourself the chance to continue without breaking.

Careers are marathons, not sprints. A young workforce that understands its limits is not weak; it’s wise. Burnout may be common, but it isn’t inevitable. The signs are always there, whispering before they start shouting.

Listening early and acting with care is what keeps ambition alive without burning through the person behind it.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author and not of Health Dialogues. The Editorial/Content team of Health Dialogues has not contributed to the writing/editing/packaging of this article.