‘I didn’t even have time to go home’: Isha Koppikar landed in the hospital after 5 days of 20-hour shifts; find out if you are ignoring these burnout signs

Isha also recalled a particularly gruelling phase while shooting Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi and Right Ya Wrong back-to-back. “It was so hectic at that time that I didn’t even have time to go home from Film City, so I asked the producer to organise a place for me to stay there. I used to shoot from 9 am to 5 pm, and then from 7 pm to 7 am the next day. This cycle repeated for five days, and on the sixth day, I ended up in the hospital.”

While these accounts focus on the entertainment sector, the broader issue resonates with many professionals across industries who regularly push their bodies beyond healthy limits.

Short-term and long-term health consequences of repeatedly working extreme hours

Gurleen Baruah, organisational psychologist at That Culture Thing, tells indianexpress.com, “Working very long hours again and again definitely takes a toll on mental and physical health. Many people don’t notice it at first. Signs usually show up slowly throughout the body, like headaches, acidity, dizziness, sleep issues, mood swings, weight changes, hair fall, BP or cholesterol shifts.” 

She adds that tolerance also drops, so what once felt manageable starts feeling exhausting. Burnout, irritability, and brain fog can follow. “Often, people realise only when the body forces a pause, as Isha Koppikar shared about her experience. So something done to get more done can actually become counterproductive if it keeps happening without rest.”

How chronic sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion impact mental health over time

Sleep is the system’s basic repair time. Without enough of it, the body starts functioning as if it’s under threat. Hormones get disturbed, immunity drops, mood becomes more reactive, and thinking gets foggy. 

“There’s a simple story. Two lumberjacks cut wood for the same number of hours. One keeps chopping nonstop. The other pauses for an hour. The first thinks he’s wasting time, but actually the second is sharpening his saw. So he ends up cutting more wood with less strain. Sleep is that sharpening. If this keeps happening often, the brain stays in alert mode instead of clear mode, and emotional steadiness becomes harder to maintain,” notes Baruah.

What should safe working-hour standards look like in high-pressure industries?

In high-pressure industries, Baruah notes that long shifts may sometimes occur, and that’s understandable. “The real issue is frequency and intensity. Occasional long days are different from chronic overwork. Safe systems need real breaks, recovery time, and days that are actually off. Individually, protect your health by using breaks wisely: pause, stretch, hydrate, eat on time, step outside, or simply sit and do nothing.” 

“Try not to spend breaks scrolling. That doesn’t refresh the brain. Let yourself get a little bored; that’s when the mind resets. Notice your signals as well: sleep, mood, focus, patience; they show your limits. Think in rhythms, not rigid balance. As an organisational psychologist, I’ve seen many people in demanding careers work in intense bursts, then consciously recharge. That reset is what keeps performance and health steady,” concludes the expert. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.