From overworked to over It: The lifestyle movement changing wellness culture

We are living in an age that glorifies exhaustion. “Busy” has become a badge of honour, and hustle is too often mistaken for ambition. Yet beneath this relentless pace lies a quiet crisis; one marked by mental fatigue, loneliness, and widespread burnout. What we often celebrate as productivity is, in truth, a culture of depletion. Across industries, the consequences are unmistakable. Personal time erodes, families are sidelined, and what remains is a fragile balancing act between survival and collapse. Mental health was once seen as an individual concern and has now become structural. It shapes how people live, how they show up at work, and how they connect within their communities and relationships.

In India, this imbalance has reached a critical point. A Deloitte survey reports that 52% of Indian professionals experience burnout due to poor work–life balance, while suicide remains the leading cause of death among young people aged 15–29; many of which are linked to trauma, abuse, financial strain, or workplace stress. India carries nearly one-third of the global mental health burden across depression, addiction, and suicide. These are not just statistics; they reflect deeper gaps in how we understand mental health and how leaders respond to this silent pandemic.

Biological, psychological, and social factors all play significant roles. While workplace mental health policies exist, cultural resistance undermines them. In environments that demand “more, faster,” there is neither time nor psychological permission to seek help. Prevention cannot thrive when support is accessed only at the point of burnout or breakdown.

Yet there is a hopeful shift underway. Across urban centres, sensitised community hubs and inclusive retreat spaces are emerging, offering professionals a chance to work, rest, and heal differently. Forward-thinking organisations are experimenting with hybrid models, sabbaticals, and flexible structures that value recharging as much as output. 

For real progress, leaders must recognise that mental health is not an optional policy but a core organisational design principle. If the pandemic made anything clear, it is this: a mentally healthy workforce is not a “well-being perk,” but a fundamental requirement for sustainable productivity and a healthier society. The modern era doesn’t demand faster work; it calls for deeper, more intentional balance. The glamorisation of multitasking and hustle must make way for humane ambition, grounded in each individual’s pace and life context. Real success is as much about stillness as it is about progress.

In the long run, the future belongs to those who can pause, turn inward, step back when needed, grieve, and heal — choosing wholeness over haste, and resilience over relentless pursuit.

Neha Kirpal is an author, entrepreneur and global mental health advocate, who has founded the India Art Fair and co-founded Amaha Health.