Working with international clients often sounds glamorous, but for many Indian professionals, it quietly comes with late nights, poor sleep, and a lifestyle built around different time zones. One entrepreneur who recently opened up about this reality is Ashwini Kumar, whose LinkedIn post about setting boundaries with US clients has now struck a chord online.
The founder shared how he went from sleeping at 4am and waking up around midday to finally reclaiming his routine by deciding that his health would no longer revolve around American working hours.
His story has sparked conversations around burnout, remote work culture, work-life balance, and the pressure many Indian entrepreneurs feel while working with overseas clients.
From Sleeping at 4am to Fixing His Routine
According to Kumar, years of working with US-based clients meant constantly adjusting his schedule to match American time zones.
Like many remote professionals in India, he believed odd sleeping hours were simply “the cost of doing business internationally”. That eventually led to exhaustion, burnout, and serious health issues.
In his LinkedIn post, Kumar revealed that a severe burnout episode left him bedridden for two days, forcing him to rethink the way he worked.
Instead of blaming time zones, he realised the bigger issue was the lack of boundaries.
“I’m in India. Most of my clients are in the US and I still sleep at 10 PM every night. How? I set a boundary. And I stick to it,” he wrote.
The ‘Asian Entrepreneur Mindset’ He Wanted to Leave Behind
Kumar explained that many professionals across Asia often feel pressured to remain available for overseas clients almost 24/7.
He described this as the “Asian entrepreneur mindset”, the belief that international clients expect constant accessibility no matter the time difference.
After his burnout experience, Kumar decided to make one major change. He informed clients that his working hours would remain between 8 AM and 9 PM IST and that sleeping by 10 PM was completely non-negotiable.
Surprisingly for him, the response from clients was supportive rather than negative.
“Totally understand. We’ll make it work,” clients reportedly told him.
How Better Communication Replaced Late-Night Meetings
While setting boundaries, Kumar also ensured client work did not suffer.
Instead of attending endless late-night calls, he improved communication systems with detailed end-of-day updates, morning syncs, and recorded Loom videos replacing unnecessary meetings.
According to him, this drastically reduced meeting hours while improving productivity at the same time.
He also clarified what actually counted as an emergency so clients knew when urgent communication was genuinely necessary.
The entrepreneur claimed that once proper systems were in place, work became smoother for everyone involved.
“They wake up to my work. I wake up to their responses,” he explained.
Why His Post Resonated With Remote Workers
The viral LinkedIn post connected strongly with professionals working remotely for global companies, especially in India’s growing startup and freelance ecosystem.
Many users admitted they had normalised unhealthy schedules while working with US clients and realised much of the pressure was self-created rather than client-imposed.
Others pointed out that asynchronous communication, clear systems, and better planning can often eliminate the need for constant availability.
At the same time, some users argued that not every industry allows complete flexibility and that certain roles still require overlapping work hours for collaboration.
Still, Kumar’s story triggered a wider discussion around remote work burnout, sleep health, and sustainable work-life balance in the age of global work culture.
‘Your Timezone Is Not the Problem’
For Kumar, the biggest lesson was simple: being in a different timezone is not necessarily the issue.
“Your timezone is not a disadvantage. Your lack of boundaries is,” he wrote.
At a time when more Indians are working with overseas clients than ever before, the message clearly resonated, success does not always need to come at the cost of sleep, health, and personal life.
Disclaimer: This article is based on statements and opinions shared in a user-generated social media post. The publication has not independently verified the claims or experiences mentioned and does not guarantee their accuracy. The views expressed belong solely to the individual concerned and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. Readers are advised to use their discretion while interpreting the information.
The founder shared how he went from sleeping at 4am and waking up around midday to finally reclaiming his routine by deciding that his health would no longer revolve around American working hours.
His story has sparked conversations around burnout, remote work culture, work-life balance, and the pressure many Indian entrepreneurs feel while working with overseas clients.
From Sleeping at 4am to Fixing His Routine
According to Kumar, years of working with US-based clients meant constantly adjusting his schedule to match American time zones.Like many remote professionals in India, he believed odd sleeping hours were simply “the cost of doing business internationally”. That eventually led to exhaustion, burnout, and serious health issues.
In his LinkedIn post, Kumar revealed that a severe burnout episode left him bedridden for two days, forcing him to rethink the way he worked.
Instead of blaming time zones, he realised the bigger issue was the lack of boundaries.
“I’m in India. Most of my clients are in the US and I still sleep at 10 PM every night. How? I set a boundary. And I stick to it,” he wrote.
The ‘Asian Entrepreneur Mindset’ He Wanted to Leave Behind
Kumar explained that many professionals across Asia often feel pressured to remain available for overseas clients almost 24/7.He described this as the “Asian entrepreneur mindset”, the belief that international clients expect constant accessibility no matter the time difference.
After his burnout experience, Kumar decided to make one major change. He informed clients that his working hours would remain between 8 AM and 9 PM IST and that sleeping by 10 PM was completely non-negotiable.
Surprisingly for him, the response from clients was supportive rather than negative.
“Totally understand. We’ll make it work,” clients reportedly told him.
How Better Communication Replaced Late-Night Meetings
While setting boundaries, Kumar also ensured client work did not suffer.Instead of attending endless late-night calls, he improved communication systems with detailed end-of-day updates, morning syncs, and recorded Loom videos replacing unnecessary meetings.
According to him, this drastically reduced meeting hours while improving productivity at the same time.
He also clarified what actually counted as an emergency so clients knew when urgent communication was genuinely necessary.
The entrepreneur claimed that once proper systems were in place, work became smoother for everyone involved.
“They wake up to my work. I wake up to their responses,” he explained.
Why His Post Resonated With Remote Workers
The viral LinkedIn post connected strongly with professionals working remotely for global companies, especially in India’s growing startup and freelance ecosystem.Many users admitted they had normalised unhealthy schedules while working with US clients and realised much of the pressure was self-created rather than client-imposed.
Others pointed out that asynchronous communication, clear systems, and better planning can often eliminate the need for constant availability.
At the same time, some users argued that not every industry allows complete flexibility and that certain roles still require overlapping work hours for collaboration.
Still, Kumar’s story triggered a wider discussion around remote work burnout, sleep health, and sustainable work-life balance in the age of global work culture.
‘Your Timezone Is Not the Problem’
For Kumar, the biggest lesson was simple: being in a different timezone is not necessarily the issue.“Your timezone is not a disadvantage. Your lack of boundaries is,” he wrote.
At a time when more Indians are working with overseas clients than ever before, the message clearly resonated, success does not always need to come at the cost of sleep, health, and personal life.
Disclaimer: This article is based on statements and opinions shared in a user-generated social media post. The publication has not independently verified the claims or experiences mentioned and does not guarantee their accuracy. The views expressed belong solely to the individual concerned and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication. Readers are advised to use their discretion while interpreting the information.
