A 25-year-old Mumbai entrepreneur has opened up about a recent health scare that landed him in the hospital. Kritarth Mittal, founder of the Soshals app, attributed his condition to poor lifestyle choices driven by the pressures of “hustle culture”, which he now warns others against.
The techie shared his experience on X, revealing his relentless work schedule, marked by sleepless nights, inadequate sleep, and an unhealthy diet, which led to a severe headache and frequent vomiting spells that ultimately required him to be hospitalised. “Hustle culture comes with a cost—some you incur right away and some over decades,” he warned his followers. “Choice is yours, I’m just here to show you the ugly side of it so you don’t get swayed easily.”
Mr Mittal described his struggle to maintain a healthy routine amid the demands of his career. “This is me after pulling all-nighters, sleeping for less than 5-6 hours, and no diet plan,” he wrote and shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed.
Hustle culture comes with a cost — some you incur right away and some over decades.
Choice is yours, I’m just here to show you the ugly side of it so you don’t get swayed easy.
This is me after pulling all-nighters, sleeping for <5-6 hours, and no diet plan: pic.twitter.com/NcksKnwr7h
— Kritarth Mittal | Soshals (@kritarthmittal) September 2, 2024
Responding to a comment, he stressed the need for balance, saying that while 12-hour workdays might seem manageable, they should be countered with regular exercise, a good diet, and adequate sleep – something he admitted he had failed to do.
I don’t think 12 hours of work is too bad if you’re able to compensate it with a regular work-out and a good diet (I hope 8 hours of sleep is also included in this routine).
I have struggled to maintain a healthy routine, diet or sleep cycle. Hence, constant body pain, dark…
— Kritarth Mittal | Soshals (@kritarthmittal) September 2, 2024
Mr Mittal, a graduate of SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, acknowledged his erratic lifestyle dated back to his college days but stressed the need for change as he grew older. “Now my body has started to remind me that I am not 20 anymore,” reflected the 25-year-old. “I am old now and I have to accept it.”
“I’ll be setting up a routine and do my best to follow it. Gone are the college days when pulling all-nighters was cool.”
At least 58 per cent of Indian employees experience high burnout rates, according to a recent report. The ‘India’s HR Revolution: Building Workplaces for the Future’ report, released at the FICCI Innovation Summit 2024 on September 3, reveals that burnout is a growing phenomenon, affecting a significant majority of the workforce.
This can have severe consequences on employee productivity, morale and overall job satisfaction. If left unaddressed, burnout could lead to increased turnover rates, decreased performance and a negative impact on the organisation’s bottom line.