If chronic stress negatively impacts learning, why do we valorize 90-hour work weeks? The Negative Impact of Chronic Stress on Learning: Why Do We Valorize 90-Hour Work Weeks?

Study: The negative effects of chronic stress on learning. Why do we value 90-hour workweeks?

It is common to hear of people who work long hours to make it to success in today’s society. Although this dedication is celebrated and praised, we must also consider the possible effects on learning from such extended work hours. The effects of chronic stress, which is defined as ongoing stress and not addressed, have been shown to be detrimental to cognitive ability, memory, and cognition (Lighthall 2019). People who have already begun learning new skills or trying to learn new information can find this particularly harmful. Long-term stress effects can prove to be very damaging. Chronic stress has been shown to impair the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which are two brain regions responsible for executive function and memory (Chu and al., 2017). Miller et. al., 2020 found that chronic stress is linked with an increase in cortisol. This hormone can inhibit the formation of new memory (Miller and co., 2020). It is evident that people who work 90 hours a week are more likely to experience reduced cognitive function. Cont…