By lkolowich@hubspot.com (Lindsay Kolowich Cox)

Overworking has become the norm for many professionals. While being constantly plugged in can make us feel safe, connected, and in the know — both at work and at home — it also means we never really clock out.

We reply to emails after work hours, take work calls at home, and even take a few hours out of our weekend for some work. The rise of remote work has even further blurred the lines between the end of the work day and time on the clock.

Studies consistently show that chronic overwork can damage your health, hurt your career, and lead to early burnout. Read on to learn exactly what happens and why.

Table of Contents

• Why Overworking is Bad for Your Health
• Why Overworking is Bad for Your Career
• The Symptoms of Overwork
• Who’s to Blame for Overworking
• How to Tackle Overwork

Why Overworking is Bad For Your Health

Overworking has serious consequences for our health.

“While a person’s body and brain have an unbelievable capacity to be resilient and adaptable, they have their limits and need to be taken care of in order to be able to function well,” said Dr. Adam Pelman, director of integrative health and well-being at Mayo Clinic Florida, in an interview with Medical News Today.

“When we overwork and fail to prioritize self-care, we don’t give the body or the brain what it needs to rest and recuperate,” Pelman says.

Our body and mind can only take so much stress. Here are just a few ways overwork can impact you and your health.

1. Overwork causes stress.

Many different factors add to the stress.

A study investigating the primary causes of stress for Americans in 2023 concluded that workload was the key contributor to stress, affecting 39% of workers, followed by interpersonal issues (31%), juggling work and personal life (19%), and job security (6%).

Constant stress can catalyze various health issues ranging from obesity and anxiety to health conditions like depression, heart disease, and mental disorders.

2. Stress prevents sleep.

When you work long hours, you skip sleep.

Not taking the recommended 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep or sleep deprivation causes a disruption of the circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that are dependent on our 24-hour cycle. When these patterns are disturbed, they leave you with low energy until you get a proper eight hours of sleep.

Hormonal imbalance and metabolic disturbances are common side effects of sleep deprivation and disorders. These exhibit themselves through high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Think you‘re one of those “lucky people” who can get by fine with only five or six hours of sleep? You probably aren’t.

While researchers have found genes in people that enable them to be well-rested after less than eight hours of sleep, they also say the incidence of either …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron