According to Truth Theory, in a lot of countries, the earliest age for retirement is 60; however, newest research points out that the adequate age to stop working is two decades earlier!
Namely, a recent Australian study indicates that people over the age of 40 perform optimally when they work only three days per week. Let us learn more about what this study discovered.
People over 40 Need to Work less
In the study, researchers from the University of Melbourne took into account the structures of the families participating, their employment, as well as subjective and economic status and well-being. There were 3500 women and 3000 men participants who were required to perform several cognitive tasks in order for their cognitive capacity to be measured.
The participants needed to recite number lists backwards and to match numbers and letters in a specific amount of time. It was discovered that those who worked less than 25 hours on a weekly basis had the best performance, which was not the case with those who worked more.
The team of researchers explains that work is a sword with double edges, i.e. it is essential for brain stimulation; however, when we work for too long, we become more prone to tiredness and stress that impede our optimal cognitive functions.
The findings indicate that the cognitive capacity of the individuals who work approximately 60 hours every week is lower than those who work fewer hours. But, the researchers emphasize that this applies to people aged 40 or older.
When the weekly working hours increased more than 40 hours, the participants’ reduction in cognitive abilities dropped fast. Interestingly, the cognitive abilities of those who worked around 25 hours per week improved.
So, How to Protect Our Health & Well-Being?
According to Woked, it is pivotal we choose a job that fulfils us and a job that feels as if we are “not working”. This will decrease the level of tension and tiredness. And, most importantly, it is high time that we understand the fact that people older than 40 cannot work as much as younger people.
This being said, one can certainly claim that the retirement age in a lot of countries is too high. However, additional research is necessary to learn more on this subject.
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