Prema Uppal, New Delhi: Do those 12-hour work days leave you fatigued beyond measure? It's the exhaustion epidemic that’s hitting cities worldwide.

Ashutosh Kumar, a corporate lawyer does not complains about his 12-hour long shifts. For he knows stretched working hours are a norm and you can't seem to do with less.

“The stakes are enormous. During a take-over bid, our clients wanted the work finished within a week. So we had to put in a minimum of 20 hours. Work does finishes on time but the stress gets unbearable on me. I used to sleep for atleast 8 hours earlier but its reduced to barely 5-6 hours,” he says.

Ashutosh is one of the countless young corporate workers who are suffering from chronic exhaustion. Worst hit are professionals in the legal services, finance and media industry.

A number of these professionals work according to the schedules set by their partners in the West and working across time zones makes their job even more exhausting.

While technology has helped blur these time zones, it has ensured that taking work home is no longer and option but a necessity. The fall out: “We are facing sleep disorders and psychosomatic disorders. Irritable bowel syndrome, heart ailments, blood sugar are all the things that are being seen. We are also seeing depression and anxiety,” says Dr Sameer Malhotra HOD, Psychiatry Fortis Hospital.

So what is the way out? Restructure your schedule and mark out time for your own self. Take up a hobby or just do yourself a favour, say no to work you can't possibly manage.