Long workdays include risks that go beyond mental health issues (Image: Freepik)
New Delhi: Work often takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Sometimes to succeed in life our professionalism can push us beyond our well-being. According to a study, long working hours are closely linked to occupational stress, well-being and depression. The results of the study stated that long work days had an indirect effect on depression through occupational stress. Many jobs require workers to work overtime, so long working hours are common all across the globe.
Dr Nischol Raval, Consultant Neuro Psychiatrist, Sahyadri Hospitals, Pune told News9, “Long workdays can have detrimental health effects, both physical and psychological, including but not limited to burnout, sadness, and anxiety along with exacerbation of a host of other non-communicable illnesses. Extended work hours, without adequate periods of rest and recovery, may cause stress, and stress can cause several mental health problems if it is not managed effectively. Chronic build of stress and allostatic load can affect the hypothalamic-piling-pituitary-adrenal axis, which results in hormone imbalances, immune system and altered brain chemistry. This can lead to a vicious cycle by affecting stress resilience even more.”
Long work hours can also cause sleep cycles to be disturbed, which can result in sleep deprivation, which can worsen or bring about new health issues in general and mental health difficulties in particular.
“Some people may find themselves temporarily working long hours because of certain situations or pressures at work. On the other hand, this is typically unsustainable in the long run and may have unfavourable health and psychosocial effects. Long work hours can cause a strained work-life balance, burnout, and a decline in job satisfaction. Long work hours can also cause emotional and physical exhaustion, less time spent with family, and interfere with the body’s natural healing process, which needs enough sleep, recreation and rest for recovery,” added Dr Raval.
Long workdays include risks that go beyond mental health issues. Research has indicated that extended work hours are associated with an increased risk of stroke, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease in people. Excessive stress and a lack of time for rest, exercise, and self-care may be the cause of this. Furthermore, because of extended sitting and few breaks, lengthy workdays can exacerbate musculoskeletal issues including neck and back discomfort. Given the potential risks involved with extensive work hours, it’s essential to focus on maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Here are some tips for individuals who find themselves in such situations:
1. Prioritise self-care: Take pauses during the day or practise stress-relieving yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. Regular physical activities and exercise may be of great help in amelioration of some of the negative effects of stress.
2. Set boundaries: Establish clear work hours and stick to them to avoid overwork and preserve personal time for relaxation and unwinding.
3. Communicate: Look into possible alternatives, like more personnel or flexible scheduling, to lower stress and avoid burnout. Speak out to seniors and discuss healthy, options and ways to get the best performance out of you without affecting your health.
