Most employees work between 8 to 10 hours, but many others work longer hours, sometimes reaching up to 18 hours a day, which is extremely harmful to health. The Cleveland Clinic states that we hear the phrase "work-life balance" all the time and strive to achieve it, but some focus on working long hours and neglect their health. The pressing question now is: what is an acceptable amount of working hours? A study conducted by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization concluded that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative health consequences.
Many wonder what can be done to achieve balance between work and life. Psychologist Adam Borland advises individuals to look for warning signs and find ways to manage work burdens. Generally, he states that excessive work is harmful to health, noting that the normal work rate is around 40 hours a week, but this is unrealistic nowadays, as many exceed this limit significantly. Dr. Borland likens workaholics to a car that wants to run while its fuel tank is extremely limited, adding, “We expect too much of ourselves while our reserves are being drained at the same time.”
Here are the main side effects of excessive work:
- **Insufficient Sleep**: Not getting enough hours of sleep is a sign of burnout. Sleep enhances your physical and mental health, so reducing it will affect your stress management and ability to recover from illness.
- **Skipping Meals During the Day**: If you are immersed in work, it's easy to forget to eat throughout the day, which can lead to low blood sugar levels and decreased energy, and potentially lead to unhealthy eating habits such as fast food.
- **Neglecting Exercise**: We all know the importance of exercise, but excessive work leads to cessation of this essential activity for body health.
- **Neglecting Relationships**: Due to work pressure, employees miss out on leisure activities during the weekends, and the loss here is not just about missing these activities but also losing part of their social relationships.
- **Risk of Addiction**: A person may resort to addiction as a result of feeling overwhelmed, and drug and alcohol addiction are likely to impact the employee’s productivity and ability to concentrate.
