The Health Effects of Overworking: Don't Die for a Paycheck

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Mind Over Medicine" by Lissa Rankin. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.

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How does overworking affect your health? Can you really die from working too much?

Owerwoking and burnout are very common in today’s fast-paced society. It may be good for the economy, but it can wreak serious havoc on one’s health and even kill.

Here’s a look at the health effects of overworking.

Work Stress Is Toxic

You probably know intuitively that overworking isn’t good for you, but did you know your job can be so impactful on your mind that it can either heal you or kill you? Rankin explains that in Japan, it’s estimated that roughly 10,000 people die from overwork each year. They call this karoshi, which translates to “death by overwork.” It’s so common that Japan offers workers compensation benefits to families who survive their worked-to-death loved ones. Karoshi typically manifests as spontaneous cardiac failure. Rankin argues that even though the US doesn’t have a word for this phenomenon, US citizens suffer from the health effects of overworking too. One study she cites found that people who didn’t take annual vacations were 21% more likely to die of any cause. Further, their cancer risk increased by 32%.

Rankin notes that even when we clock out of work, the world of technology keeps us connected. Emails, texts, and calls travel right to your pocket and wait for you on your laptop at home. This makes it difficult to get away from work stress and relax.

Make the Most of Your Vacations

Even though we’re suffering from overwork in the modern age, we always count on vacation to reduce stress, right? One study that surveyed 1,500 people before and after their vacations found that most of the participants didn’t feel any less stressed after their vacations ended and they actually had less energy when they returned to work. The common causes of stressful vacations are travel-related complications such as unfamiliarity with the area you’re visiting, sorting out unplanned details while on vacation, and feeling unsafe.

On the other hand, vacations that are well planned can reduce your stress and help you feel rejuvenated when returning to work. To avoid a Clark Griswold-esque vacation, here are some tips to dial in your travel details and optimize your time away from work:

Seek help from a travel agent. A travel agent can help you sort out the logistical issues that are responsible for stressful vacations so you can focus on relaxing.

Make your plan at least one month in advance. Another study found that 90% of people that planned a good trip had their plans sorted out a month beforehand. 27% of stressful trips were still being sorted out at the last minute or during the trip.

Meet with a local expert. Most positive vacations recorded in the same study were guided by a local host or a knowledgeable friend that lived in the area.

The Health Effects of Overworking: Don’t Die for a Paycheck