The American superstar Beyoncé Knowles is known for her work-ethic and diligence, which has seen her become one of the world’s most celebrated acts.
But after years of “working herself to the bone”, the singer is prioritizing her self-care and rest these days.
She told GQ Magazine this week that she once put her career before anything else, and it caught up with her, resulting in insomnia, exhaustion and poor mental health.
Montina Cooper, a background singer for Beyonce talked about the grueling work-days that Bey worked in a 2021 interview, noting: “When you guys see a show, just know that every day that we’ve rehearsed, she’s gone in before us and left after us. And we’re working 14-16 hour days. There’s breaks in between. Because she’s creative, and sometimes it never stops…she’s up! But she’s not just up, she’s in it. She’s present.”
While speaking to GQ in the rare interview, Beyoncé also opened up about building her schedule around her family today, and the intense passion which she has for her craft.
“There was a time when I was pushing myself to meet unrealistic deadlines, while not taking the time to enjoy the benefits of why I was working so hard,” she said.
“There aren’t many of us from the late ’90s who were taught to focus on mental health. Back then, I had little boundaries, and said yes to everything … And now I work smarter.”
The 32-time Grammy Award winner added that her love for music runs deep, and that singing always lifts her spirits; perhaps another lesson that one should find work that “doesn’t feel like work.”
“It’s one of the deepest joys of my life, a necessity as vital as breath. Without singing, without music, without creating, I would be a walking dead. Creating music isn’t work for me; it’s what I was born to do.”
CNBC reports that it’s not just Bey who saw the light and left overworking in the past, but more high profile, highly successful personalities.
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates once shared that he too, overworked at some point, and now regrets it.
“I didn’t believe in vacations. I didn’t believe in weekends. I didn’t believe the people I worked with should either,” Gates said last year.
He added: “Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson,” he added. “Take your time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses. Take a break when you need to. Take it easy on the people around you when they need it, too.”
