I walk with a group of friends each weekend. We chat and laugh and get to experience the great outdoors together. This week I had a text from one of my friends saying they couldn't make it because they had to go into work. I got to thinking about this and started to wonder why...especially considering statistics in Madeleine Bunting’s book ‘Willing Slaves: How the Overwork Culture is Ruling Our Lives’, that reveal: the number of people working over 48 hours has more than doubled since 1998, from 10% to 26% and unbelievably one in six workers are working greater than 60 hours per week. These are scary statistics given that both American and Australian studies link extended work hours with an increased risk of a range of health consequences including: fatigue, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, stress, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, chronic infections and diabetes.1,2 . Dembe, A.E., Erickson, J.B., Delbos, R.G., & Banks, S.M.(2005). The impact of overtime and long work hours on occupational injuries and illnesses: new evidence from the United States. Occupational and Environmental Medicine; 62: 588 - 597.
2. Dawson, D. McCulloch, K., & Baker, A. (2001). Extended working hours in Australia: counting the cost. Centre for sleep research University of South Australia.
Labels: career, exercise, health, professional, self help, stress
