Gurgaon man opens up on burnout from his 9-to-5 corporate job: ‘Mai mentally pagal ho chuka hu’

A video shared on Instagram has reignited a sharp public discussion on the realities of work life balance for young professionals. The clip, posted user Director Dayal, features a Gurgaon based man candidly describing how his demanding job leaves him physically and mentally drained, with barely any time or energy left for his personal life. A Gurgaon man’s video showed how long work hours left him exhausted.(Instagram/director_dayal) A glimpse into his daily strugglesFilming from his rented apartment that costs him ₹14,500 per month, the man reveals that his job consumes almost twelve hours of his day. He starts the video saying, “Ye log jo bol dete hai worklife balance jaisi koi chiz nahi hoti, aaj mai dikhata hu ki ye kyu important hai.” He then walks viewers through his cluttered room, pointing at his unmade bed and scattered clothes. “Ye sab yaha pe pure ek hafte se pada hua hai,” he remarks. The camera then shifts to the floor that he has not been able to clean, as he explains, “Isme dhaniye ke patte jam gaye hai lekin main ye saaf nahi kar pa raha hu.” His kitchen sink, piled with dirty utensils left untouched for four days, further shows how little time he has for basic chores. He holds up a lamp he bought to create a cosy space for himself and adds that he had hoped to use it while watching films during his free moments but never gets the chance. Summing up his exhaustion, he says, “12-12 ghante ki shift, labour se bura haal ho chuka hai.” A plea to his boss, parents and future partnerThe man concludes his video with heartfelt messages for three important groups in his life. To his employer, he says, “Sir, mai mentally pagal ho chuka hoon kaam kar kar ke, mujhe nahi chahiye paisa.” Addressing his parents, he adds, “Mere gharwale, samajho ki phone nahi utha raha hu toh kuch kar raha hounga.” Turning to the girl he cares about, he says, “Wo ladki jiske liye hi main ye sab kuch kar raha hu, please try to understand, isse jyada main nahi kar sakta.” Check out the clip here: Online reactionThe video has crossed seven million views on Instagram and has drawn strong reactions. One user commented that it felt like “a mirror held up to every exhausted corporate worker.” Another said it showed “how silent burnout looks inside a rented room.” Several others wrote that “this is the reality no one talks about,” while another viewer mentioned that “work life balance is becoming a luxury.” (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)