Workplace stress could kill you 33 years early

A stressful job can be murder, literally. According to new research, anxiety and long hours spent in the office can shave decades off an individual's life expectancy.

The report, conducted in the US by both Harvard and Stanford Universities, has found that the stress levels you experience at work have a direct effect on how long you will live. The study examined the correlation a high-paying job has with access to better healthcare, a positive work-life balance and education. In some areas of America, this can equate to a shocking 33-year deduction on your life span.

The team of researchers used data from General Social Survey and the American Community Survey to analyse how education, race and gender affected how susceptible you are to stress. For instance, the report found that men and women who had less than 12 years of formal education were still on par with life expectancies of those living in the 1950’s. In comparison, those with over 17 years of education lost less than two years.

The study also examined the link between races and workplace anxieties, uncovering that those with less education were more likely to end up in jobs which have poor workplace practices, and in turn, worried more about being fired. Black and Hispanic employees fared worse than Whites in the education categories, which had a knock-on effect on their health, their stress levels and, ultimately, their life span.