Should We Revise the Standard 40-Hour Work Week?

40 hours is the typical amount that Americans work in a given week. It's been this way for a while, with countless Americans waking up and going to work for 40 hours each week. However, there's new evidence suggesting that we should work fewer hours, which could offer some surprising benefits.

For the study, researchers analyzed 8,000 men and women, paying close attention the amount of time they work and their overall health. So, what did they discover? Researchers found that people who worked for longer 39 hours per week were more likely to suffer from disease and illness. While long work weeks has an impact on eating habits, exercise, social life and more, researchers believe it's greatest impact is on mental health. Researchers found that the maximum number of hours a person can work before mental health begins to suffer is 39.

"We need to encourage people to look after their mental health, but mostly we need to encourage managers and workplaces to see this as something they want to mitigate," said one of the study's researchers and authors.

But what if you are unable to push your work week hours down to 39? There are a few other steps you can take to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. For starters, make sure you are eating the right foods. One of the reasons why long work weeks has a negative impact on workers' health is because they aren't able to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, so their health suffers as a result. If you put forth the time and effort to prepare nutritious meals, you'll reduce the risk of disease and illness, regardless of how many hours you clock in at work.

You can also overcome the burden of long work weeks by taking breaks. Even if it's nothing more than a 10-minute break, this gives your body and mind a chance to reset. Furthermore, federal labor laws require employers to allow workers to take regular breaks.

The bottom line is that new evidence suggests that working 40 or more hours in a week can hurt your health. It's been known for quite some time to long work weeks translates into higher stress levels. However, this recent study has linked long working hours to mental health, further compounding the problem. In any case, we should take a more proactive approach towards our work weeks, keeping hours in check when possible.