📩 The 8-Hour Workday: A Remnant of the Past?

In today’s society, it’s often seen as a badge of honor to work long hours and push oneself to the brink of exhaustion. However, constantly working overtime can be detrimental to both one’s physical and mental health. In this article, we’ll explore some of the reasons why you should avoid burning yourself out with excessive overtime.

First and foremost, working long hours can have a significant impact on your health. Studies have shown that working more than 10 hours a day can increase the risk of cardiovascular issues by up to 60%. Furthermore, those who work more than 50–60 hours a week are more likely to experience relationship problems, with a reported rate of 10% increasing to 30%. Additionally, working long hours has been linked to an increased risk of depression and higher injury rates.

The idea that working twice the hours leads to twice the output is a myth. In reality, productivity is not linear, and there is little productive work that occurs after reaching 50 hours of work per week. Beyond this point, continuing to work long hours can lead to unhappiness, fatigue, burnout, and other issues. So how can we avoid burning ourselves out with excessive overtime? Here are some tips that can help:

1. Give Yourself Breaks: Your brain naturally functions in spurts of high energy followed by spurts of low energy. By using calendar blocking to ensure you have a 15–20 minute break between every hour of work, you can maintain a unique level of focus in your work.
2. Know Yourself (and Your Team): It’s essential to know your body and when you’re most productive. Plan your day based on your limitations and those of your team. For example, avoid scheduling important meetings on Fridays when people are more likely to be tired and anticipating the weekend.
3. Divide and Conquer: Create a schedule where you divide your work into chunks of time instead of trying to accomplish multiple tasks at once. By blocking out an hour of time for a specific task and avoiding multitasking, you can maintain 100% focus on achieving your goal.
4. Free Meeting Day: Consider having a meeting-free day once a week. By doing this, you can create a designated time to work on projects without being disturbed by scheduled meetings.
5. Effective Measurement: Consider how you measure productivity. It’s important to focus on quality over quantity and to set achievable goals that allow you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

In summary

While it may seem like a good idea to work long hours, it can have serious consequences for your health and well-being. By implementing these tips, you can avoid burning yourself out with excessive overtime and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Remember, it’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter.

You shouldn’t Burn your Brain. Learn Why!

See you soon.
Thaisa Fernandes

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn