Bengaluru CEO reveals how hectic work schedule left him in ICU for 4 months: ‘Sunday was just a slower Monday’ | Today’s news

Sivaram Briyas, co-founder of MillD Protein Atta, has openly said that years of long working hours took a serious toll on his health, eventually landing him in the intensive care unit (ICU) for four months.

Briyas said his demanding professional routine means even weekends rarely offer a break. Looking back on his career, he wrote on LinkedIn, “For most of my career, Sunday was just a slower Monday,” describing how often he worked on Sundays.

What did Briyas usually do on Sundays?

Briyas, who founded Briyas Tofu in 2014, said his weekends were often occupied with factory visits and business calls. Although he was physically at home with his family at times, he admitted that he was mentally busy with work.

“I took calls. I visited the factory ‘for ten minutes’ which turned into three hours. I told my family I was present while my mind ran the inventory numbers,” he admitted.

What happened after years of reworking?

The long work routine eventually took a toll on Briyas health, leading to a hospital stay.

“Then I spent four months in ICU and got all my days off at once,” Briyas said.

The experience forced him to step back and rethink his approach to work and recovery. During his hospitalization, he reflected on the advice of his doctors, who explained that the body regenerates during periods of rest rather than during physical exertion.

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What did his doctors teach him about rest?

Briyas said the hospital stay helped him understand the importance of allowing the body to recover.

“As I lay there, I kept thinking about something the doctors told me about recovery. The body doesn’t get stronger during exertion. It gets stronger during rest. Surgery is a shame. Healing happens in between, sleeping, eating, waiting,” he said.

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How did he apply this lesson to business?

This experience also changed Briyas perspective on business. He came to believe that distance from work can give founders the space they need to think more clearly and uncover insights that might otherwise escape them.

“The thinking that changes a company rarely happens in a meeting. It happens on the walk after the meeting. The customer perspective doesn’t come when you’re staring at a dashboard. It comes at Sunday lunch when you’re watching your own family actually eat,” Briyas wrote on LinkedIn.

Briyas said his approach to work-life balance has changed since his hospitalization. While he continues to believe in putting in a lot of effort, he has made a conscious decision to take Sundays off work.

“I’m still working hard. Probably harder than before because now there’s less time and more purpose.”

“But I’m trying to protect my Sundays now. Not because I’ve earned a rest. Because with rest, the work completes itself,” he concluded.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)