Full and part-time employees in the United States work an average of 40-hours a week, according to 2017 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Working more than that has been linked to negative changes to your health, while working fewer hours each week could help make you healthier, according to research from NYU Langone Health.
Four ways a shorter workweek could help improve your health:
- Less stress
A study published in the Journal Psychological Medicine in 2011 found that working more than 55-hours per week was associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression among people ages 44 to 66 who were employed full-time.
Those who worked less had a lower risk of those symptoms.
2. Sleep more
A lack of sleep may lead to poor performance, memory and difficulty processing information.
Getting the right amount of sleep can improve your health.
3. Improve your heart health
Working less could lower the risk of coronary heart disease among adults.
4. Spend more time with loved ones
They can help combat loneliness and encourage a person to engage in leisure activities and exercise.
