Your Job Could Kill You - Literally

If you’re on vacation, please relish in the time away from the office. It won’t suddenly come crashing down or burn to the ground if you’re not there – promise. Enjoy the break. This means, stop trying to run the office from your phone, too. All those long hours you spend micromanaging work could wind up killing you – literally.

A new study, conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Labour Orgazination (ILO) shows that long working hours increased deaths from heart disease and stroke. That’s right – working too much could be the end of you.

The study found that “in 2016, 398 000 people died from stroke and 347 000 from heart disease as a result of having worked at least 55 hours a week. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of deaths from heart disease due to working long hours increased by 42%, and from stroke by 19%.”

Stick to 40 hours, look busy and you’re sure to be in a much better position – regardless of what your boss tries to tell you.

Time away is yours, so spend it wisely. Burnout is real. You’ve got to nurture yourself and sometimes the best way to do that is to step away for a bit.

Our need for work-life balance is real. Be sure to take breaks, take your lunch, plan and take that vacation. You don’t need to check your email when you are not working, because that is still working, people. There isn’t a first prize trophy handed out for “Worked the Most Hours”, so stop this nonsense and go live your lives. Go to your kid’s baseball game, schedule that doctor’s appointment or spend the day at home with your feet up watching Netflix. It’s your vacation time to spend it how you wish. Just do whatever, as long as it is away from the office.