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Let’s be honest: nobody is a fan of working five days a week. But if you actually want a reason to work less then science has your back now if you are above the age of 40. The researchers have come to the conclusion that people who are over the age of 40 are most productive when they work only three days a week.
A survey was conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economics and Social Research at the University of Melbourne where researchers took into consideration the family structure, employment, economic, and subjective well-being of the people. The people were quizzed in various ways such as reciting a list of numbers backwards, matching letters, and numbers under a time constraint. It was concluded that participants who worked less than 25 hours a week achieved better scores.
The report stated that work can be a double-edged sword as it can stimulate brain activity. However, the extremely long hours and certain tasks can cause fatigue and stress which potentially damages the cognitive functions of the human brain.
According to BBC, the studies found that the cognitive abilities of those who work about 60 hours a week are lower as compared to people who don’t work. The research only gathered information from the group of people who were above 40 years of age.
But according to Professor Colin McKenzie at the Keio University, many countries are going to increase their retirement ages. It is because by delaying the age at which people are eligible to start receiving pension benefits. Moreover, the research points out that the differences in the working hours are crucial for maintaining cognitive functioning in middle-aged and elderly people whereas working part-time can have a good effect in maintaining the cognitive ability.
