This one's for the workaholics who work for long hours incessantly, unmindful of the devastating effects it can have on their health.
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.
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.
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| 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.
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| Go for a vacation every now and then. |
References:
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.
ReplyDeleteWhile being a workaholic can sometimes be a good thing (more money, good work ethic, great experience), it may also be damaging to their health
ReplyDeletework 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.
ReplyDeletef 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.
ReplyDeleteOverworking is Bad For Your Health
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteWhen 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.
ReplyDelete