Like many employees, you may have ever extended your day at the office after the departure of your colleagues, to respond to emails or finish an urgent file. But at what price? This presenteeism reflex, deeply rooted in many professional cultures, gradually mines personal balance. It feeds chronic stress and weakens mental and physical health, until it disrupts the very functioning of the brain.
This is demonstrated by a team of researchers from Chung-Ang and Yonsei universities. By analyzing the effects of overwork on the human brain, they conducted a study with 110 professionals, mostly from the health sector. The participants were divided into two groups: the first included 32 people working 52 hours or more per week; The second, 78 people with standard times. Brain imaging has made it possible to highlight net differences in volumes of gray matter, especially in areas associated with executive functions and the regulation of emotions.
The results are striking: a significant increase in gray matter is observed in certain brain regions, such as a possible physical trace of burnout. The average frontal gyrus, which plays a role in advanced attention, memory and cognitive functions, presents 19% growth in the most solicited workers. Other areas are also affected, such as the upper frontal gyrus, involved in planning and decision -making, or even the insula, essential to self -awareness, the management of emotions and the interpretation of the social context. The study authors believe in a press release that “The changes observed could constitute a biological basis with cognitive and emotional difficulties often reported by overworked people“.
Brain changes still poorly understood
What exactly does this increase in the volume of gray matter mean? For the moment, the answer remains unclear. “”Although the results must be interpreted with caution due to the exploratory nature of this pilot study, they constitute a significant first step in understanding the link between the overwork and the health of the brain“, Specify the researchers. Impossible, for the time being, to determine whether these changes are directly caused by overwork, if they pre-exist to it or if they are reversible.
Even if the sample of this study remains limited-exclusively composed of South Korean caregivers-the results are part of a worrying trend. In 2021, a joint study of WHO and ILO already attributed more than 745,000 deaths per year to work overload. The link between long working days and cognitive decline is now solidly documented.
In a context where the experiments around the four -day week are increasing, these conclusions act as alarm signal. “”The results underline the importance of treating overwork as a concern for occupational health and highlight the need for policies aimed at reducing excessive hours“, Alert researchers. Concrete measures – laws, public policies, time limits – must be envisaged to permanently protect workers.
The message is clear: if you feel tired, distracted or emotionally at the end, it may not be a simple vacuum. It may be your brain that sounds the alarm.