When you work hard enough, you’ll eventually feel the pressure to work longer hours and achieve more. It is also unfortunate that a lot of non-CEO employees work long hours. Half of all American workers surveyed by Gallup report that they work more than 40 hours per week, and 18% say they work more than 60 hours per week.
Goldman Sachs junior analysts noted working 95-hour weeks last year when they surveyed themselves about their hours and conditions.
Nonetheless, there are limits to how much extra time you can put in at work before it starts to have little or no impact, but it will undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on your health. It is what research shows happens to your body and brain after you work more than 40 hours.
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Increased Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack
Overworking can be very dangerous to your health and sometimes even fatal. Working long hours resulted in 745,000 cardiovascular deaths in 2016, according to a 2021 global report by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization.
Frank Pega, a WHO technical officer, and lead author, said, “Long working hours can directly cause a cardiovascular disease event by increasing stress that damages cells in the brain and the heart.”
Injuries At Work Increase Your Risk
It is also possible to get physically injured while working long hours. Working at least 12 hours per day was associated with a 37% increase in hazard rates while working at least 60 hours per week was associated with a 23% increase.
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Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Health
Sleep plays a crucial role in our well-being. If you stay up late to meet your boss’ deadline, you’ll pay the price for rest. Sleeping less than six hours every night won’t just make you grumpy at work. Multiple studies show you will become more distracted, anxious, irritable, and likely to take more risks impulsively.