Slow down for the sake of health

This one's for the workaholics who work for long hours incessantly, unmindful of the devastating effects it can have on their health.

Don't work for long hours incessantly.

A recent study (1) published in the European Heart Journal says that people who work long hours have 40% increased risk of of developing an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. The study involved nearly 85,500 men and women in a ten year follow-up period.

"Those who worked long hours had a 1.4 times higher risk of developing atrial fibrillation, even after we had adjusted for factors that could affect the risk, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, obesity, leisure time physical activity, smoking and risky alcohol use," says Prof Kivimaki.

Nine out of ten of the atrial fibrillation cases occurred in people who were free of pre-existing or concurrent cardiovascular disease. This suggests the increased risk is likely to reflect the effect of long working hours rather than the effect of any pre-existing or concurrent cardiovascular disease, but further research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved.

So slow down a bit and take time everyday to unwind and relax. Here are some articles to get going. Fight stress with leisure, Meditate to release tension, Pranayam to release stress, Hobbies add spice to life. Wake up refreshed - Start the day positively. For a better mental health, follow these tips & suggestions.

You should also have a lazy day in a week where you simply forget all about work and only spend time resting , unwinding or indulging in your favourite pastime or a pleasurable activity. Having such a resting day in week is found to have beneficial effects on cardiac health and boosting immunity. A lazy restful dayapparently reduces your stress, blood pressure and also lessens your chances of a stroke. Taking vacation breaks few times a year also helps. (2) There’s a strong relationship between people who don’t go for vacations and the risk of heart disease. In a Framingham Heart study (3) 12,000 men who were at risk of heart disease were followed over nine years to see if there were ways to improve their longevity. Among the questions they were asked annually was about vacations. "The more frequent the vacations, the longer the men lived," says Matthews, who analyzed the data to assess the benefits of vacations. Not taking breaks for years together can also make you susceptible to depression and take a toll on your mental health. On the other hand, people who take vacations not only improve their overall mental well-being but may also boost the mental health of those around them.

Go for a vacation every now and then.

Now we all may have observed that once we are back from a vacation and return to our monotonous everyday routine, the happy memories that we have had during this period doesn't linger for long. We experience some kind of emptiness even after a wonderful, well-enjoyed trip. And then we begin to wonder whether the effects of a much-needed holiday-break is just short-term and whether it was worth the time and money. True the positive effects fade quickly; but that doesn't mean that one should discount the health benefits of a vacation says Jessica de Bloom in a study(3) published in the Journal of Occupational Health. She adds: "It would be a bit like asking, 'Why do we sleep despite the fact that we get tired again?'. Health deteriorates over time if we don't take a break from work, concludes the research.

References:

The ache of acne (pimples)

Acne is often the bane of a pretty face. It is painful more emotionally than physically, for the scar that it leaves behind can last for a lifetime, adding to one’s miserable look & feeling. No doubt many expensive skin care clinics have mushroomed in ever nook & corner, offering to clear all the scars & blemishes on the face, but they are very expensive & charge exorbitant price for each sitting; not everyone can afford them. So why not try out this simple skin care regimen to minimize the damage caused by acne & as far as possible prevent its eruption.

Natural remedies for dark circles around your eyes

Dark circles around your eyes. How unsightly they look and even your best dress and layers of make-up sometimes does not quite succeed in concealing them! Blame it on your genes or your lifestyle, but, you cannot deny the fact that these are a blot on your beauty . And they become more prominent as you age. Let’s just debunk some of the myths as well as unearth some of the facts about the causes of these ‘ panda eyes ’. Dark circles under eyes usually are temporary and not a medical concern. You may be surprised to learn that fatigue usually isn't the cause of dark circles. Instead, the most common cause is nasal congestion. When your nose is congested, veins that usually drain from your eyes into your nose become widened (dilated) and darker.

Beating stress – some tips

It is very difficult to come across a happy, contented face in a crowd these days. Stress has become a way of life with people these days. Sure, we all need to be a little tense once in a blue moon. After all it acts as a positive force and helps us get things done. But when tension becomes a habit with us and we are unable to cope up with it, we say we are undergoing stress. Some people are simply born more tense than others. Children of over-anxious parents generally grow up to be more anxious than the others.

Home remedies for common cold

Common cold is a very common malady which affects people during monsoons. (Also see the post Beauty and body care in monsoon for a monsoon beauty regimen.) It can be caused by any one of more than 200 viruses. Normally it is confined to the nose and throat although the virus can infect the larynx and lungs. It is said that there is no particular cure for colds, they are naturally relieved within a week. Treatment is just an attempt to relieve its symptoms such as headache, stuffy nose, sore-throat and congestion. Paracetamol tablets are generally taken to get relief from these symptoms.

Home remedies for sore throat

Sore throat is a common malady that each one of us faces sometime or the other in our lifetime. That scratchy, dry and abrasively painful feeling at the back of the throat that you experience is so very discomforting! There are many ways to relieve that scratchy and painful, infected throat. Sore throat home remedies are many and varied and range from the folk ones to the medically tested and proven ones. With this common recurring condition many sufferers have their own favourite sore throat treatments that seem to work for them. Sore throat is one of the ailments which responds very well to home based remedies, so there is no reason why one should hesitate to try out these invaluable tips which have been handed over to us by generations of yore. After all these remedies have negligible side-effects and so there is no harm in trying them. And you can always rush to a doctor if they don’t work for you.

Comments

Oum3:37 PM
overworking can have a negative effect on your health and happiness. work stress in particular can take on your health, including depression and an increased risk of heart attack and diabetes. And workaholism in particular has been associated with poor sleep quality, weight gain, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety, not to mention unhappy marriages and higher divorce rates.
Urvi3:39 PM
While being a workaholic can sometimes be a good thing (more money, good work ethic, great experience), it may also be damaging to their health
Radha3:43 PM
work is just one part of life. And that sometimes it’s best—for everyone—to know when to shut it down and go on home.
RJ2:54 PM
f you are taking proper sleep and a balanced diet, it will not harm. your work should not be creating stress on your mind or body.
Prakruthi3:00 PM
Overworking is Bad For Your Health
It impairs your sleep
Working too much can take a toll on the body and brain in two main ways -- by boosting stress and by getting in the way of exercise, healthy eating, and other good habits.
white-collar workers who worked three or more hours longer than a normal, seven-hour day had a 60% higher risk of heart-related problems than white-collar workers who didn't work overtime
It can cause heavy drinking.
t can lead to type 2 diabetes in low-income workers.

Madhavi3:11 PM
Working overtime has become the norm for most people. Unfortunately, it can have extremely negative impacts on your health, happiness and overall quality of life.
Keerthi3:12 PM
When you’re overworked, you’re overtired. When you’re overtired, you rely more on caffeine to get you through the day, you tend to make unhealthy food choices and working out becomes a thing of the past. You become irritable, your immune system weakens and you tend to stop enjoying life. You may react negatively to your family or coworkers, leading to more stress and anxiety. Eventually, you may become depressed.