Spending too much time at work may not just exhaust your body, it could also be affecting your brain. A new study has found that working over 52 hours a week may lead to changes in the brain’s structure, especially in areas responsible for managing emotions, memory, and decision-making.
The findings, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, suggest that overwork could potentially impact a person’s mental and emotional well-being in the long run.
Researchers from Yonsei University in South Korea found that people who worked too much showed clear changes in parts of the brain that help with decision-making and handling emotions.
Researchers looked at healthcare workers who often work long hours, comparing brain scans of those working standard hours with those putting in 52 hours or more per week.
The final analysis looked at 110 workers, most of whom were doctors or worked in healthcare.
Out of these, 32 people worked long hours every week, while 78 worked normal hours.
They found that people working longer hours had noticeable changes in certain parts of the brain that help with focus, emotional control, memory, and problem-solving.
One of the key areas affected was the middle frontal gyrus, a part of the brain linked to working memory and language processing.
In fact, this area was 19% larger in people who worked long hours. Other affected areas included the superior frontal gyrus, which plays a role in decision-making and planning, and the insula, which helps us process emotions and stay aware of ourselves and our surroundings.
The study adds to a growing body of evidence that overwork doesn’t just increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and mental health problems, it may also lead to physical changes in the brain.
While it’s not yet clear whether these changes are harmful or the brain’s way of adapting to constant stress, the researchers said that the findings are a wake-up call.