Work Until You Drop: Working Long-hours Is Killing Us

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For most people, working a full-time job is something they do without much thought. While having a job is important, overworking can cause serious mental and physical health problems.

In a recent study, researchers found that over 85 percent of men and 45 percent of women in the United States work more than 40 hours a week. Consistently overworking yourself or your employees is a recipe for disaster.

While most business owners utilize the power of online employee scheduling software – Humanity, there are times when more hours are needed to complete projects. Making sure these instances do not become a frequent occurrence should be one of the main concerns you have as a business owner.

The following are just some of the problems that overworking can cause.

Working Too Much Overtime Can Make You Depressed

Did you realize that consistently working overtime can double your risk of depression? A study conducted by PLoS One found that people who work more than 10 hours a day had an increased chance of becoming depressed.

Working more hours usually reduces the amount of time you get to spend with your loved ones, which can really affect your mental health. Clocking out at a reasonable hour and going home to spend time with your family is important for both your physical and mental well-being.

Sitting All Day Can Cause Major Health Problems

There have been multiple studies that link sitting all day to a host of health problems like obesity, cancer and even heart attacks. Even if you do work on your feet during the week, you need to stay active on your days off. Becoming a couch potato on the weekend will only cause more health-related problems.

If your job does entail you to sit for prolonged amounts of time, you need to find a way to stay active. Getting up and going for a walk on your breaks is a great way to reduce the damage that sitting all day can cause. You may also want to think about getting a stand-up desk to reduce the amount of time you sit each day.

Getting the Right Amount of Sleep is Important

If you are burning the candle at both ends for work, chances are you aren’t getting the right amount of sleep. The National Sleep Foundations maintains that the average adult needs around 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Failing to get the proper amount of sleep can decrease memory, increase the chance of weight gain and may lead to cardiovascular problems. If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, you may want to think about establishing a bedtime routine.

This routine should include things like turning off the lights and removing electronic devices from your bedside. Getting rid of these distractions can help you focus more on going to sleep rather than looking at social media.

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Stress is a Silent Killer

The Mayo Clinic conducted a study to find out more about the primary stressors in the lives of American citizens. This study found that over 30 percent of the people they polled claimed that things like a large workload and daily commutes were their biggest sources of stress.

Having too much stress in your life can compromise your health. Stress prompts your body to produce an increased amount of hormones that will raise blood pressure, blood sugar and even your heart rate. Not only can stress cause physical problems, it can lead to declining mental health as well. This is why reducing the amount of hours you work is so important when trying to get your health back on track.

Doing things like finding a hobby or spending more time with your family can significantly reduce the stress and worry in your life. The longer you wait to get a handle on overworking, the more problems you will ultimately have to deal with.