There is much debate about how many hours of work per week are optimal. However, a new study by the University of Melbourne now shows that too much work can damage the brain and even make us more stupid.
The working week has changed significantly over the past 150 years. While people still worked 72 hours a week in 1871, by 1914 it was only 55.5 hours.
In the years that followed, the working week continued to decrease. In 1990, the figure was 39.7 hours; in 2022, men worked an average of 38.2 hours a week and women 30.7 hours.
According to researchers at the University of Melbourne, this is a positive development. According to a new study, too much work can damage the brain and even make us more stupid.
How much work is too much?
For their study, researchers at the University of Melbourne investigated the effects of working hours on people’s cognitive abilities. They used data from people aged 40 and over living in Australia.
The researchers used three measures of the test subjects’ cognitive abilities. These included the Backward Digit Span, which assesses the capacity of working memory.
The researchers also used the Symbol Digits Modalities Test. This can detect cognitive impairment in less than five minutes, as well as organic brain dysfunction.
The test subjects also had to complete the national reading test for adults. Using the data from these tests, the researchers were then able to establish correlations with working hours.
So many hours are still healthy
Not all forms of work are bad for our brains. According to the study results, working hours of up to
25 hours per week even have a positive effect on the brain. This is because it can stimulate cognitive functions.
However, if working hours exceed 25 hours per week, the increase in working hours has a negative impact on cognitive abilities.
According to the study authors, this applies to people over the age of 40. Younger brains are even more resilient and can therefore tolerate longer working hours.
What are the reasons for the negative effects of too much work?
The scientists at the University of Melbourne identified stress and fatigue as the main factors for the decline in cognitive abilities when working too much. Performance and concentration would then suffer as a result.
Test subjects who worked 55 hours a week therefore performed particularly poorly. But it’s not just the actual hours we spend in the office that count. Even if there is a work-like activity at the weekend and the brain cannot switch off, this can also have negative effects.
