7 Reasons Working Too Much Is Bad For Your Health

A recent study found that people who work at least 11 hours a day have a higher risk of depression than those who work a standard 7 or 8 hour day.

The weekend does however offer a reprieve from the stresses of all those long days, but you do need to make the most of it.

According to the research published in the journal PLoS ONE and the Huffington Post these are the top seven reasons you want want to cut back on those long hours:

Depression: Working overtime is linked with depression. Speculations are that long work hours leaves less time to care for yourself and your family. You also have less time for exercise and to eat healthy foods.

Sitting: If your job requires you to sit for long hours, that is not good too good for your health either. Long periods of sitting is linked to diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart attack and even death.

Sleep: The Study found that 20 percent of people who worked more than 50 hours of work per week were getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep per night on workdays, and 36 percent said that they only got a good night's sleep a few nights a week or less.

Cardiovascular Problems: A 2010 study found that working 10 or more hours a day resulted in a 60 percent jump in the risk of cardiovascular issues.

Stress: The Mayo Clinic reported that a quarter of people identify work as the primary stressor in their life. Workload, daily commutes, co-workers and those with endless daily tasks can add up to a serious stress problem.

Eye Strain: Sixty-four to ninety percent of computer users report experiencing some kind of vision problem, whether it's eye strain, headaches, dry eyes or blurred vision. Staring at a computer screen all day is the most common cause of eye strain.

Brain: All that overtime you may be working can have a possible negative effect on cognitive performance that can be associated with a risk of mental decline or even dementia.

So, next weekend, take time out to unplug and recharge. Turn off the TV, your laptop and only use your phone to make calls. If you have to go on the computer use the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from the screen for at least 20 seconds.

Take time out to enjoy the things you miss out on during the week. It could just be some sunshine or playing with your children.

Also try incorporating some healthy foods like fish, lean meat and lots of fruits and vegetables into your meals and try to get in some physical activity.