Listen to this article in summarized format
Loading...
××
Subscribe to
Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content
New Year Offer 24 Hours Left
Subscribe NowAlready a member? Sign In
What's Included
- Exclusive Stories
- Daily ePaper Access
- Smart Market Tools
- Curated Investment Ideas
- Ad-lite Experience
Subscription
After years of chasing a single goal, the moment it finally arrived felt like validation. A bigger title, a higher paycheck, and the applause that comes with both. But sometimes, what looks like success on paper quietly starts to feel very different in real life. Behind one such promotion story lies exhaustion, pressure, and a breaking point that no salary slip could fix. What followed wasn’t a celebration, but a hard reset that changed everything.
Harmanjot Kaur recently shared a deeply personal account of her journey after what she once believed was her biggest professional milestone. In 2025, she was finally promoted to Senior Manager with a salary of ₹28 LPA. After eight long years of effort, struggle, and persistence, the moment felt like an arrival. Colleagues congratulated her, her parents were proud, and she herself believed she had reached the place she had worked so hard for.
But the reality of that role began to unfold slowly over the next 6 months.
Breakdown
Eventually, it reached a point where everything collapsed at once. She experienced a breakdown inside the office washroom, a moment that made her realise how far things had gone. Within the same week, she resigned from her job, without another offer in hand and without a clear plan for what came next.
Life after quitting the job
Today, just two months after stepping away, life looks very different. Harmanjot Kaur is now running a small AI service for Punjab-based businesses from home. The income is lower than before, but so is the stress. She describes her current life as one where sleep has returned, time with family feels real again, and daily living no longer feels like survival.
Looking back, she reflects on how the promotion she worked so hard for slowly turned into something she could not sustain. What once felt like achievement eventually felt like confinement.
Another user pointed out that while responsibilities naturally increase with senior roles, working 14–16-hour days under constant stress is rarely sustainable beyond a few months, even after conversations with leadership.
One more shared a personal shift in mindset, saying they once worked hard to hit financial goals but lost excitement once taxes and pressures caught up, eventually choosing a calmer, more balanced work life over higher earnings.
Harmanjot Kaur recently shared a deeply personal account of her journey after what she once believed was her biggest professional milestone. In 2025, she was finally promoted to Senior Manager with a salary of ₹28 LPA. After eight long years of effort, struggle, and persistence, the moment felt like an arrival. Colleagues congratulated her, her parents were proud, and she herself believed she had reached the place she had worked so hard for.
But the reality of that role began to unfold slowly over the next 6 months.
What happened over the next 6 months?
The workload intensified to 14–16-hour days, becoming the new normal rather than the exception. Personal time started shrinking. She missed her daughter’s first school function, a moment she could never get back. What began as stress soon turned into panic attacks before important meetings. Her health deteriorated, with BP spikes, rising sugar levels, and growing anxiety becoming part of daily life. At the same time, strain began creeping into her marriage, adding another layer of pressure outside work.Breakdown
Eventually, it reached a point where everything collapsed at once. She experienced a breakdown inside the office washroom, a moment that made her realise how far things had gone. Within the same week, she resigned from her job, without another offer in hand and without a clear plan for what came next.Life after quitting the job
Today, just two months after stepping away, life looks very different. Harmanjot Kaur is now running a small AI service for Punjab-based businesses from home. The income is lower than before, but so is the stress. She describes her current life as one where sleep has returned, time with family feels real again, and daily living no longer feels like survival.Looking back, she reflects on how the promotion she worked so hard for slowly turned into something she could not sustain. What once felt like achievement eventually felt like confinement.
Netizens react
Users reacting to her story called it a classic “promotion trap,” where chasing a title and higher pay often comes at the cost of health, relationships, and personal peace. One response noted that real wealth isn’t the CTC on an offer letter, but control over time and mental calm.Another user pointed out that while responsibilities naturally increase with senior roles, working 14–16-hour days under constant stress is rarely sustainable beyond a few months, even after conversations with leadership.
One more shared a personal shift in mindset, saying they once worked hard to hit financial goals but lost excitement once taxes and pressures caught up, eventually choosing a calmer, more balanced work life over higher earnings.
