Price we pay for not taking care of our health during youth

---

Health is perhaps the greatest asset we possess, yet it is often the one we take for granted until it's too late.

Today, it is no longer uncommon to see people in their 30s and 40s battling heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle-related illnesses. The unhealthy choices we make in our 20s—late-night work, chronic stress, irregular meals, dependence on takeout, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption—are catching up with us much earlier than we ever imagined.

I've seen many colleagues and acquaintances forced to take sabbaticals, not to pursue personal goals, but simply to recover their health—or, in some cases, to save their lives. Whether in the government or private sector, work-related stress has become a silent epidemic.

Our culture of glorifying hustle, overwork, and being available 24/7 is taking a serious toll on our physical and mental well-being. This won't change unless we, collectively, begin to set healthy boundaries between our professional and personal lives.

There is much we can learn from many European countries, where work-life boundaries are respected, and people intentionally invest time in their health, families, and personal lives. Interestingly, despite working fewer hours, they are often more productive because they value sustainable work over constant work.

Perhaps it's time we ask ourselves: Can we, as Indians, redefine success? Can we stop celebrating burnout and start prioritizing health, balance, and happiness?

Because no achievement is worth sacrificing the very thing that allows us to enjoy it—our health.