Many of us wish that we can spend less time working. Whether you work for someone else, or whether you are a business owner and work for yourself, chances are you spend a lot of time working.
While having a good work ethic is desirable, you don’t want to go overboard and start working too much. Not only can working too much cut into your lifestyle, but it can also affect your health. You might be surprised at how the amount of work you do impacts your cardiovascular health.
More Work = Greater Risk of Heart Disease
Recently, a study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that found a connection between the amount of work you do and your cardiovascular health. This study is a longitudinal study that ran from 1986 to 2011. After sifting through data, researchers found that there was a correlation between the hours that someone worked per week and the chances that he or she would be diagnosed with some type of cardiovascular problem.
The study discovered that those who were 55 hours per week were 16% more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than those who worked 45 hours per week. The more hours per week you work, The more likely you are to have health problems related to your cardiovascular system. Those who worked for 70 hours a week were 74% more likely to have a heart disease than those who worked 45 hours per week.
So, well we tend to look with admiration on those who work a lot, and we might even brag about how much we work, the reality is that overworking yourself can be bad for your heart. If you want us to do something good for your health, you might try to spend less time working.
Spend Less Time Working
There is a reason that heart disease is more likely in those who work more hours per week. When you don’t take time to relax, or get adequate sleep, you are more likely to be tired, feel low energy, be impacted by stress and anxiety.
Research indicates that taking a break from work can help you refocus and boost your creativity. Trying to force yourself to work all the time doesn’t really help you accomplish as much as you think. In many cases, you just end up tired and doing a poor job. If you want to succeed in your career or in your business, putting in an 80 hour workweek might not be your best bet.
While you don’t want to stop working altogether, you could probably stand to spend less time working. Track your time to see how much you spend on doing tasks that aren’t particularly necessary. You might even discover that you are busy more than anything else. Prioritize your work tasks and your time to relax in way that allows you to concentrate on what matters most, including your health. When you shift to your most important work tasks and dedicate your time to those, you are more likely to be productive and you will have more time to relax.
Plus, you will enjoy better health.
