On working long hours and heart disease
I’m not a physician so I don’t really know if there is a cause-effect link between working long hours and increased risk of heart disease. I’m a doctor of a different kind (a Doctor of Philosophy in Resource Management and Environmental Studies, with a major focus in Political Science and Public Policy and a minor focus in Geography). But the truth of the matter is, I work anywhere between 11 and 16 hour days, with frequency.
Although I do take time off, it sometimes seems it’s not enough.
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about how I didn’t think I was a workaholic. I have been slowly cutting down on the stuff I do. And of course, feeling slightly overwhelmed right about now has much to do with the fact that it’s the end of the academic term at the university, and I have to do a lot of grading.
Still, it was worrisome to receive the link this morning from JT on the potential link between working long hours and increased risk of heart disease. If he is getting a little worried (and he knows me probably better than almost anyone else in Vancouver), then that means that I might need to stop and reflect on it and assess whether I am, indeed, taking care of myself before I take care of others. Yes, I am working out, exercising, eating well and spending time with my friends. Yes, my academic and consulting careers are blossoming and I’m incredibly successful, but I don’t want that success to come at the expense of continuing to work long hours. I just looked at my calendar for the rest of April and May, and it looks insanely busy.
For a while now Derek and Airdrie both have encouraged me to cut down on stuff. I’m just in the process of carving time for myself to reflect on where else to cut (if I told you how many things I have turned down in the last 3 months, you would be surprised!). And took today (Saturday) off for the most part, in order to concentrate precisely on thinking of what else to cut.
Do you think that there is a link between working long hours and increased risk of heart disease? Do you put in long hours? How to strike a good balance?
If what you say is true, that you exercise, eat well, see friends and get outside, then working long hours at something you generally enjoy is probably not going to give you heart disease. Of course, I’m not a physician – so really, what do I know. I think we should aim for balance and try to engage in things that provide an overall sense of well being. If working hard is a part of that picture, then maybe it’s not so bad?