Are you a firm believer in putting in long hours at work? Here’s why you should change

Last Updated on 2016-06-19 , 9:32 pm

We know consistently pulling OTs might demonstrate our hardworking nature in the boss eyes therefore putting us in the boss’s good books, but do you know that putting in long hours at work has detrimental effects not just on your performance, but your health as well?

These health effects may not be immediate, but they will definitely affect your productivity and your body in the long run.

There are several physical damages working overtime might bring about. These include heart diseases and also stroke. For those who are workaholics, you might want to reconsider your lifestyle! Do you know that those who work more than 10 hours per day have 60% higher chance of getting a heart attack?

Furthermore, those who work just a little more than 40 hours a week were at increased risk of getting a stroke. Are all these truly worth it? These are long-term, accumulated health effects.

For the young and ambitious, always remember that when you’re older, your body is unable to compensate for the lack of immunity, sleep, and rest you that have been spent on years of hard work. Remember, time waits for no man.

Our mental health might also be affected due to the long hours of concentration. Long hours on the job leads to increased depression, anxiety, insomnia and higher divorce rates! Putting in long hours increase our perception of stress, meaning that the longer you work, the more stress you think you experience.

Also, you won’t be happy to find work dominating your life, leaving you with little to no time to enjoy little moments with your loved ones. These affect your mental health in the long run. So for those workaholics, channel all that effort into different spheres of life to prevent a mental breakdown in the future!

And of course, productivity dips when we overwork our bodies in the long run. Accumulated stress and lack of sleep (from the increased hours at work) pull overall productivity down.

Research has shown that the more you overwork, the less productive you become, and this is explained by the lack of quality sleep, which is limited by time and stress. Only 1-3% of the population can sleep five or six hours a night without suffering some performance drop-off.  Let’s face it, what are the odds of you being that 1-3% of the population? Might as well get more sleep, and prepare for the next working day.

Kind of ironic when you thought that doing more OT will make you more productive, don’t you think?

Top Image: Hatchapong Palurtchaivong / Shutterstock.com