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Does This One Thing Really Damage Your Brain?
Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com
Overworking has become an all too common feature of life in the modern world. Since the Industrial Revolution and the labor movements that followed it, most people have become accustomed to the idea of a 40-hour work week. Working eight hours a day, Monday through Friday is considered a normal “full time” work schedule. But new research may indicate that this may actually be pushing it too far for our cognitive well-being. A study from Australia appears to indicate that working more than 25 hours per week may actually be counterproductive and even harmful to your cognitive abilities.
A study was performed by the Melbourne Institute for Applied Economic and Social Research on over 6,500 adult volunteers who were all at least 40 years old. This test would determine if there was a specific number of working hours beyond which productivity actually began to decline. The results appear to indicate that most adults are working WAY too many hours.
The researchers gave each participant a series of tests to ascertain various aspects of their cognitive functioning, including concentration, working memory, pattern recognition, and linguistic skills. When the researchers compared the participants’ test scores with the number of hours they worked, they noticed an interesting correlation.
They found that work stimulated cognitive function, but only up to a certain point. Cognitive performance increased each hour and peaked at around 25 hours of working, before beginning to decline. Twenty-five hours, it seemed, represented the ideal work week.
Most people who are employed full time are working more than 40 hours per week, so does this mean they’re just powering through those hours past the 25-hour threshold when their brains are not performing at peak capacity? Apparently so — the study indicates that stress hormones like cortisol are what contribute in large part to the decline in mental performance.
Now, everyone’s bodies and brains are different, and 25 hours is not a hard and fast rule. The researchers found that some people were able to work a bit longer before mental performance slowed down, while in others, it happened sooner. There also appeared to be a “Goldilocks zone” for productivity that varied according to gender. For men, working 25-30 hours per week was the most productive, and in women it was 22-27 hours each week.
Also, remember that age IS a factor here — all the participants were over 40 years old. There is no evidence of cognitive decline after 25 hours of work in younger people.
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Photo credit: bigstockphoto.com
Now having said all that … we also live in the real world and understand that most people cannot earn a real living working only 25 hours a week. Odds are that you are already in that group that does work more than 40 hours each week. So, what are your options? Here are the tips for reducing stress.
1. Try to reduce the number of hours you work
This should be obvious, but so few people that are overworked even bother to try. They just accept overwork, exhaustion, and burnout as a part of life. But the truth is there are probably a number of tasks or projects you can delegate or eliminate. So many people, especially those in corporate settings, take on too much busywork without realizing it. Do what you can to eliminate this from your work day.
2. Treat your body and mind right
Get plenty of exercise and adequate hours of sleep each night. Try yoga and meditation, both of which are scientifically proven to reduce stress and lower blood pressure.
3. Examine your personal life
Are there are any toxic people or relationships in your life that drain your time and energy? Do an audit of your social and personal life and identify any negative influences. It may be time to cut them lose or at least make a conscious effort to spend less time around them.
READ ALSO: Yoga Makes For A Healthy Brain
4. Get a new job!
A big part of work-related stress people experience is linked to being forced into jobs that are just not a good fit. If you force yourself to do work that is incompatible with your natural skillset, temperament, and personality, it will manifest itself as stress, anxiety, and poor work performance — not to mention limiting your own potential in life. You’re not doing your employer or yourself any favors by doing this. Find a job that is in line with who you really are.
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