Poor Heart Health Due To Work Burnout?

You need a vacation! This is according to a recent a study from the University of Southern California. In the study, they determined that people who experience “work burnout” are at greater risk of experiencing irregular heartbeats.

In a similar study from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, researchers aimed to find out the link between anger, exhaustion, antidepressant use, and poor social ties, with the irregular heartbeats in adults. Their study followed 11,445 people for approximately 23 years. All individuals started the study without any arrhythmic issues. Over the course of the study, there were 2,220 incidents of atrial fibrillation. After adjustments were made for factors such as age and race, results showed that individuals who regularly suffered from significant stress and exhaustion, were 20 percent more likely to develop irregular heartbeats over the course of the follow-up, compared to their less stressed-out counterparts.

So the exhaustion they are referring to isn’t what you feel after one sleepless night or what you feel after having a very rough day at work. The exhaustion they are referring to is more chronic and a result of stress that may be nonstop or unchecked. Think of Jessie from that Saved by the Bell episode.

There are ways to prevent the stress of work or life from having too much of a toll on your heart. Some simple steps you can take to manage exhaustion include exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting good sleep, and practicing stress reduction strategies. Talk about the stress in your life with someone you trust or even a professional, spending more time outside, yoga, meditation or take a vacation.”So the next time you’re in a rut, take a vacation. Doctor’s orders.