Do you feel like you’re chained to your desk? If so, it could have an impact on how much you drink.
A new study found people who work longer hours (48 hours each week or more) are more likely to engage in risky drinking. For the purposes of this study, “risky drinking” was defined as woman consuming more than seven drinks in one week, and men consuming more than 14 drinks in the same time period.
Employees who work longer hours were almost 13 percent more likely to drink in excess than those who work only 35-40 hours each week.
Though the study determined a correlation, it did not determine causation ““ meaning you can’t tell your boss that working long hours actually causes you to drink more alcohol than if you work fewer hours.
The study, which was originally published in the magazine BMJ, does support the notion that workers who spend more hours on the job use alcohol to ease the physical or emotional strain from a long day.
Even if alcohol helps alleviate the immediate pain, drinking for longer periods of time and in large amounts can lead to a number of serious health concerns, which could result in extra sick days, higher medical expenses, or greater medical concerns down the road.
If you or a loved one is looking for better ways to unwind and relax after a long day, read our tips for a good night’s sleep or seek professional help from an alcohol or drug treatment service.
