One terrible project broke something in me
MBB consulting is a very stressful job. In the short term, we accept it as an inevitable part of the job. But in the long term, it can have a devastating impact on your health...
One terrible project broke something in me. I endured so much stress that my health deteriorated. I was never the same afterwards.
Here’s what happened.
On paper, that was a dream project: my first EM role, an exotic location, and an exciting topic.
In reality, it was a perfect storm.
✗ Massive overscope
✗ Impossible timeline
✗ Detached leadership
✗ Hostile clients
✗ Junior team
Every single day was a fight for survival. It was so overwhelming, I didn’t know where to start to make it better. Many times, I wanted to quit.
In the end, it turned out quite well. But I had to take 3 months off to recover.
The real damage came later.
I started gaining weight rapidly. I felt sluggish, tired, and depressed.
The doctor’s verdict:
Thyroid damage is caused by extreme stress.
Since then, life has been a constant battle with fatigue and sluggishness, one that I can never fully win.
Here’s my point:
While you’re young, you think you can handle any stress consulting throws at you. And maybe you can in the short term. But the long-term cost can be devastating.
Protect yourself. Your body remembers every sleepless night and cortisol spike you endure.
No career achievement is worth sacrificing your health for.
Yes, some stress seems inevitable in this profession. There are many ways to cope with stress, but the best cure for toxic stress is success. Learning to work effectively is the most effective lever you can use to alleviate stress in MBB consulting.
If you’re an MBB consultant and want to improve your performance and get rid of your toxic stress before it’s too late.
Book a Free 1-1 Consultation. We will discuss your pain points, challenges, and aspirations. No strings attached, just straight answers to your biggest questions.
P.S. You know, when I was younger, I thought of stress as an imaginary thing. I thought that weak people invented it so that they wouldn’t have to work hard. And I was invincible to stress. But later, I learned what the real stress is and its real cost to my mental and physical stress.
Read this post, where I discuss my experience managing stress while working at McKinsey. Maybe it can be helpful to you as well.
How to manage stress in consulting