The Hidden Danger Of Working Excessive Hours

If you are working longer hours, you are not alone. According to the Families And Work Institute, on average, men now work 48.2 hours per week. Women (including the 24 percent who work part-time) average 41.4 hours per week. However, 38 percent of Americans work more than 50 hours per week. In a recent study of over 1,000 workers conducted by the Institute, one in three employees reported that they are chronically overworked. 54 percent of the employees stated that they were overwhelmed by how much work they had to complete.

Unfortunately, excessive work hours can harm your health. Tim Kasser, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, conducted a study that revealed that as people’s work hours go up, their feelings of life satisfaction and vitality plummet. At the same time, they experience a dramatic increase in health problems and negative emotions.

Excessive work hours may be something that has seemingly been forced upon you. However, in reality, you always have at least some choice in the matter. Working a huge number of hours may also be something that you willingly choose to do for a time, in order to get a promotion or a raise.

However, you need to stop and consider the consequences. Is it worth the price you pay to your physical and emotional health? Is it worth the price of deteriorating relationships? Is it worth not getting the special times you could have had bonding with your children and helping them grow in wisdom and maturity?

Don’t discover too late that the ladder of success you’ve been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall. Remember, you are a person of value, apart from what you do. Just say “no” to overwork! Regardless of what you accomplish, cherish each day as a gift from God. Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.

Have you ever said “no” to your employer when asked (or told) to work excessive hours? What was the result? Share your experience in the box below.