According to Finnish scientists, working extra hours is linked to nervous disorders and may even lead to mental retardation. So the scientists urge workaholics to come to their senses. It is not that you have to sit around all day long, just make sure you don’t work yourself into Alzheimer’s disease.
According to BBC, mental abilities of employees who work more than 55 hours a week (11 hours per day) are lower than those of their less compulsive colleagues.
Two thousand of public servants had five different tests over the period between 1997 and 1999 and then between 2002 and 2004. Those who worked overtime scored the lowest in reasoning and vocabulary tests. In addition, they experienced short-term memory problems. Their problems got worse with every working day, i.e. the longer working hours, the poorer test results.
The scientists can’t make clear why prolonged working day is bad for our brain, though they revealed key factors: workaholics sleep less, are easy prey for depression and drink more alcohol.
Pr. Cary Cooper from Lancaster University says that employers make it even worse trying to force employees to work longer hours. Unfortunately, as the financial crisis unfolds, people tend to overstay in the office to show their loyalty in fear of getting the ax.
This study is something for workaholics to be serious about, chimes in the representative from Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation Harriet Millward. It’s known that we can reduce the risk of Alzheimer by eating balanced diet, regular social contact and doing physical and mental exercises. Now we have to add the balance between working and rest hours to this prevention list.
Source of the image: selfmademinds.com.
