Working 52+ Hours? Your Brain Might Pay the Price

As longer workweeks become more common in many professions, health experts are raising fresh concerns. Beyond just feeling tired or burned out, new research suggests that working too many hours may change the structure of your brain. A recent study from South Korea sheds light on how chronic overwork might impact memory, emotions, and decision-making.

The Study: A Close Look at Healthcare Workers

Researchers from Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University in South Korea carried out a study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. The team examined 110 healthcare workers as part of the Gachon Regional Occupational Cohort Study (GROCS).

Participants were divided into two groups:

One group worked regular hours.
The other group worked 52 hours or more per week, which is the legal maximum in South Korea.

Interestingly, those who worked longer hours were generally younger, more educated, but had less job experience than their peers.

What Did the Brain Scans Reveal?

To understand the effects of overwork on the brain, researchers used MRI scans and a method called voxel-based morphometry (VBM)—a technique that helps measure changes in brain volume.

The results were surprising. People working longer hours had noticeable increases in the volume of certain brain regions:

19% growth in the left caudal middle frontal gyrus, which is linked to attention, memory, and language.
Volume increases in 17 different brain areas, including the superior frontal gyrus and insula—regions involved in emotional control, decision-making, self-awareness, and sensory processing.

What Does This Mean for Your Brain?

These changes might be the brain’s way of adapting to ongoing stress—a kind of “neuroadaptive” response. In other words, the brain may be working harder and changing its structure to keep up with high demands at work.

However, this isn’t necessarily a good sign. Experts believe these structural changes may be related to the common symptoms overworked people report, such as:

Mental exhaustion
Emotional ups and downs
Trouble focusing or making decisions

Are These Brain Changes Permanent?

According to Professor Joon Yul Choi from Yonsei University, one of the lead authors of the study, these brain changes might be reversible—but only if work-related stress is reduced. Even so, the brain might not bounce back immediately.

Why This Matters: Broader Health Implications

Frank Pega, a scientist with the World Health Organisation (WHO), called the findings important. He said they add to growing evidence that long work hours can harm both physical and mental health.

However, he also pointed out that the study had some limitations:

Small sample size
Participants were all South Korean healthcare workers.

This means we need more research across different industries and populations to fully understand the risks.

Time for Workplace Change

Jonny Gifford, a researcher from the UK’s Institute for Employment Studies, said the study gives scientific proof of what many workers already feel: that working too much can harm mental wellbeing.
By using brain scans, the research offers a clearer picture of how chronic overwork doesn’t just affect how we feel, but may physically change our brains.

Conclusion

While this study is just the beginning, it raises serious concerns. Long working hours could be doing more than just wearing us out—they might be reshaping the brain in ways that affect memory, emotions, and decision-making.

It’s time to treat overwork as a real occupational health risk. Employers and policymakers need to take this seriously by setting healthy limits on working hours and protecting mental health in the workplace.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources

I’m a pharmacist with a strong background in health sciences. I hold a BSc from Delhi University and a pharmacy degree from PDM University. I write articles and daily health news while interviewing doctors to bring you the latest insights. In my free time, you’ll find me at the gym or lost in a sci-fi novel.