“One in three American employees are chronically overworked, and 54 percent felt overwhelmed by how much they’re expected to complete, according to a 2005 study by the Families and Work Institute.
That’s not only bad for productivity, but studies also have shown that too much stress lowers people’s immune systems and can lead to high blood pressure, sleep and mental disorders.
In a study of 24,305 employees, those who worked 40 hours a week had a 14 percent higher risk of hypertension than those who worked less. The risk was 17 percent higher in those who worked 41 to 50 hours and 29 percent higher in people who worked even more, according to the study, published in the October issue of the journal Hypertension.
Regular rest, exercise and good nutrition are ways to prevent burnout, but taking vacation is also crucial to rejuvenate, Distler said. You should get away ‘long enough to forget what day it is,’ she said.
Joyce Marter, a psychotherapist and co-founder of Urban Balance, a downtown Chicago counseling center, said that long weekends and the occasional vacation day is not enough to properly relax.”
