I was born tired. Now I live to rest.

"What is my favourite time of the day?"

“Bedtime, of course!”

I am a long sleeper. Always was. When I was a teenager, my mother just could not wake me up in time to go to school. Don’t get me wrong, I loved going to school — I just could not and would not wake up on time.

I remember on one occasion feeling so sleepy in the morning: I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and as I was too tired, I sat down on the floor still brushing my teeth and somehow I fell asleep. My mother found me two hours later, sleeping in the bathroom.

I missed school on that day.

On another occasion, after getting dressed up for school I went back into my bedroom and sat down on the bed, just to rest for a minute, and again, I tucked myself under the covers and again fell asleep.

My sister woke me up hours later, she sat on me, not realizing that I am wrapped under blankets and sleeping. I remember how I scared her, but she scared me more.

At one point my parents considered that there must be something wrong with me, after all, I am able to sleep for 12-16 hours straight. So they took me to doctors, I've had my heart checked and had to wear a Holter monitor for 48HR.

The doctor could find anything "specifically" wrong with me, except that when I am sleeping it seems that my heart rate drops to the rate of those who are usually in a coma. So he advised my parents to wake me up "gently".

Since them I had my getaway card. Now I can sleep as long as I want because don't you dare wake up someone who is in coma!

I was scheduled to do more checks, but I never went, as I dreaded that perhaps the doctors would actually find something serious. So I started training myself to wake up early. I even took a job at a morning TV show where for 6 months I had to be in the studio at 4 AM. God, I hated waking up at 3 AM. But somehow I am managed.

Back then, my wish was to be in front of the camera, but as I have an Eastern European accent and they didn't give me the job, so instead I sat behind the scenes and wrote the news while other girls read them out.

When I was 21 I entered the video games industry and suddenly my life changed: it became very hectic. I travelled all around the world, I worked 24/7, I chased money and fame, I met a lot of executives from Silicon Valley and I just felt the urge to keep up with them. And it was hard. I was always exhausted, so I started taking stimulants that messed up my sleep.

This lasted for years. But I still kept on working and climbing the ladder. I worked since I was 16: I worked when I was in high school, I worked in college — not just one job but three. I didn’t have to work, as I was blessed enough to come from quite an affluent family.

I worked because I wanted to succeed in life. I worked because I believed that success comes with titles: "Junior Manager, Senior Manager, Executive Manager, CEO, VP..."

Now I know I just wanted to make my mum proud and make it into Forbes 30 under 30. My mum died when I was 22 but it didn't stop me from pedalling faster and sleeping less.

Quite often I managed to have three jobs, attend and excel at university, learn foreign languages, write for theatre and play professional tennis. I was good at it too. I managed to be the 7th best in the country. But my father persuaded me to stop as he knew that it takes one injury and I am out of the game. Plus it was a very expensive sport.

I used to travel up to 7 times per month. My body was high on adrenaline and on determination to succeed. Somehow I managed to squeeze in some sleep.

I could sleep anywhere: planes, trains, cars, taxis, subway, ferry, in cinemas. I can work anywhere too. When I visited Tokyo for a two-week-long conference I blended in with everyone on the tube — half of the train was asleep, because of the long commuting time. I slept too.

My friends and family used to be very frustrated with me: on days when I didn't work and had scheduled morning meetings with friends, I used to miss them out. My partner banned me from having an alarm over the weekend because I keep snoozing and snoozing. It kept waking him up while I was sleeping.

The country could be bombed and it wouldn't wake me up!

When I scheduled doctor's appointments I missed them, my general practitioner even charged me for all the missed appointments with him because of my inability to make it in time for my medical checkups.

Whenever I sleep for less than 12 hours my mood decreases and I don't feel my sharpest. You see, we all need “optimum” sleep. But what works for you, may not work for me.

I need my 12-14 hours of sleep to feel good, alert, productive and “happier”. This year I decided to stop making excuses and embrace it.

I won't make any appointments in the early morning. Because I am not an early bird I am a night owl.

Now I start work after 11 AM and I avoid travelling before 10 AM. Many people don’t understand it and wish to label me as “lazy” when I am not. I am the opposite. I am just different and I am sure that there are many people like me out there but are ashamed to admit it. 7,8 or 9 hours of sleep is not enough for me to function 100 %.

I am very ambitious. I am very insecure. I thought that titles could cure my insecurity.

High achievers are the ones who are most at risk for burnout, and their natural instinct when they start to feel tired is to pedal faster on the treadmill. And that's me.

All of us are under stress. I am too. There is the financial insecurity, the neverending pandemic, the annoying colleagues, the deadlines, needy children, old parents. My body is chronically on edge while my mind is on fire — trying to process all the information and respond to it accordingly and ideally as soon as possible.

I've felt overworked for the last 10 years. Stressed? Yep. On edge? For sure.

I’ve used to be an exhausted person I used to take on early morning flights and early meetings but I realized that in the long run it doesn’t make me happy and makes me age faster. Nah, I don't want those wrinkles, I am not 30 yet.

People used to put me down and make jokes because of my sleeping. I just need to sleep longer than others, and I don't feel guilty about it. Up until I experienced burnout in the year 2021 my whole life revolved around work.

Even the pandemic could not stop my travels.

As I sat in the airport lounge on my way to a conference in Dubai, just about to catch a connecting flight I stumbled upon an article describing ways chronic overwork can kill a person.

According to numerous scientific studies, excessive work can and will literally kill you. I know it can. My best friend died from a heart attack in 2021. He was the CEO, he was in Forbes, he was a high achiever. He died while playing tennis at the hands of his girlfriend. He was only 28 years old.

If chronic stress accumulates over a period of time, such as chronic overwork, then it could lead to a cardiac event.

Simply put overwork can give you a heart attack.

Few of my former colleagues suffered from strokes. I've also lost a business partner due to a cardiac event. Folks who clock more than 46 hours per week have the greatest risk for cardiovascular disease. Perhaps the work itself won’t kill you but a heart attack will.

Those who work more than 55 hours a week are more likely to experience depression or anxiety. No one should lose their mind overwork.

"How many times have I've been invited for drinks after work?"

Always. Every single time. Alcohol was and is a part of my work culture. To advancer further in my career, I found myself in various bars in Moscow, Tel Aviv and London drinking to gain trust from the business partners. Truth be told, I engaged in very risky alcohol use.

Now I am finally sober.

I've let work dominate my life and it left me no energy for the people who matter to me the most: my partner, my family, my friends, my pets. I had no energy to see and spend time with them. I went straight back to my bed. My mattress was my sanctuary.

This Christmas I decided to learn how to rest. I've left for Montenegro, a tiny country on the Adriatic coast. I've spent time in the mountains with people who don't even know their real age. But trust me they are old. Like really old, "Gandalf" old.

I've sat down with them talking, listening to their stories. Many of them have outlived their children and their grandchildren. There is no WI-FI, no Facebook, no depression or anxiety. Just mountains, fresh air and the smell of cattle. I used to sit with them until 4 AM listening to them and devouring every word they said.

Many of them have no teeth left but they kept on smiling. Many of them are smokers but have no health issues. Many of them should be long dead but aren't.

They gave me advice, which I now follow. There are 10 commandments that promote life without work and can turn your life around. Here they are:

1. Man is born tired and lives to rest.

2. Love thy bed as you love thyself.

3. Rest during the day, so you can sleep at night.

4. Do not work. Work kills.

5. If you see someone resting, join them.

6. Work as little as you can and transfer all the work you can to another.

7. There is salvation in shade. Nobody died from resting.

8. Work causes illness. Do not pass away young.

9. If you feel the urge to work: sit down and wait... and you’ll see the urge will pass.

10. When you see people eating and drinking, approach them. When you see them working, turn away and do not disturb them.

Following these in the first two weeks of 2022 made me healthier, happier and stress-free. But most importantly following these have made me sleep better. Yes, I am sleeping 12 hours now and I feel great and I have nothing to apologize for.

I still work, but when I can I transfer the work to another, so I don't pass away young.

Hopefully, these will help you too.