3 ways your 55+ hour workweeks are literally killing you

Whether you look at classic economics research, anthropology, neuroscience, or simple common sense, the same picture emerges. The quality of people’s work dips dramatically after 40 hours a week, which makes super long workweeks inefficient. A new study finds they are also deadly.

The new data from the World Health Organization shows that 745,000 people died in 2016 from working long hours, up 29% since 2000. Workweeks of 55 hours or more were particularly harmful. The researchers feel lockdowns and remote work may have only increased the dangers of super long workweeks.

Chronic stress

Living with stress long-term can wreak havoc on the body. All that adrenaline and cortisol continually coursing through your veins puts you at higher risk for depression, heart disease, weight gain, and sleep problems, among other conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women who worked excessive hours were also more likely to be depressed, according to the new study.

No time for healthy habits

Super long workweeks don’t just actively harm your body, they also prevent you from doing the sort of things, like exercise, getting adequate sleep, and cooking healthy meals, that might counteract all the ill effects of stress.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms

Finally, working brutal hours leaves people more vulnerable to choosing unhealthy ways of coping with their stress and exhaustion, such as excess alcohol or smoking.