Too much overtime will kill you

We're not trying to be alarmist (OK, we're trying to be a little bit alarmist), but sometimes you need to be pretty direct to get through. Work late and you've a good chance of keeling over. Simple.

If only things were really that simple. We know that if you've got a job, chances are you're overworked. You probably feel quite lucky to have a job, so you're going to do whatever it takes to avoid getting your P45. That probably involves putting in the extra hours.

But new research shows that when it comes to working hours your willingness to go above and beyond is having a seriously detrimental effect on your long term health and could be responsible for that most annoying, and frankly unreversable, side effect - premature death.

This is what the survey by the European Heart Journal found: men who regularly put in the overtime, or who consistently work more than a ten-hour working day, are two thirds more likely to have a heart attack. And you don't need to be a rocket scientist (or a cardiac surgeon) to know that heart attacks are best avoided.

High risk

The survey looked at 6,000 British civil servants. After accounting for known heart risk factors such as smoking, doctors found those who worked three to four hours of overtime a day ran a 60% higher risk.

Cathy Ross, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the research, said: "This study raises further questions about how our working lives can influence our risk of heart disease.

"Until researchers understand how our working lives can affect the risk to our heart health, there are simple ways to look after your heart health at work, like taking a brisk walk at lunch, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or by swapping that biscuit for a piece of fruit."

Getting a decent work/life balance is vital. People who tend to work late tend to be the sort of people who will turn up for work even if they're ill. They also tend to have less time to exercise and find it hard to relax, and by not giving themselves enough downtime they're prone to developing depression or other anxiety-related problems.

Overworking will also make you irritable and prone to aggression - meaning that when you do get home, those around you could end up suggesting you stay even longer at work just to stop you from buggering up their lives too.

And if you are lucky enough not to keel over at work, the chances are you won't be appreciated: you'll either be taken for granted by your bosses or you'll give the impression that you're crap at organising your work load.

So apart from taking a brisk walk at lunch and eating more fruit, what else can you do? Well, the first thing you can do is arrange to actually leave on time for once. Tell the boss that you've got to head off as soon your shift at work is due to finish. Do this a few times and before long they'll stop giving you stuff to do just as your putting on your jacket and target some other sucker instead.

Getting stressed out helps nobody and is likely to result in you sitting at your desk grumbling at your screen or barking at your work colleagues well after clocking-off time.

You also need to get good at saying no throughout the day. Don't take on too much of the work that somebody else could (or should) be doing. (check out our feature on saying 'no' at work here).

You can also take a chill pill, as getting stressed out helps nobody and is likely to result in you sitting at your desk grumbling at your screen or barking at your work colleagues well after clocking-off time. We're not advocating raiding the drug cabinet unless the doctor orders you to do so, what we have in mind is something a bit more herbal (no, not that either - although what you do in your private life is entirely your business. We've got a guy here on the JOE team who regularly visits a man called 'John' who he also refers to as 'his physio' for a 'deep tissue rub down' and we don't judge him).

One option is the Good Mood Pack from Mayo-based chemist Molloys online and is a supplement that contains Rhodiola (a herb found in the Nordic countries which has been used for centuries to alleviate tiredness and lack of energy) and B complex vitamins which will help boost energy levels.

Whatever you do, just don't stay late.

Nick Bradshaw