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Study suggests working just 1 day per week improves mental health

John Heckert wipes his eyes as he uses a computer to fill out paperwork for unemployment insurance at Eastbay Works Oakland One-Stop Career Center August 5, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

CAMBRIDGE, U.K. — How can you improve your mental health? According to new research, working just one day per week may be the answer.

A group of researchers at the universities of Cambridge and Salford wanted to find the “dosage of work” most beneficial to employees’ mental health.

According to their findings published in Science Daily, working more than eight hours per week provided no additional boosts to mental well-being.

The project looked at more than 71,000 working-age people in the U.K. from 2009 to 2018. The participants were asked about topics such as anxiety and sleep problems.

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"The traditional model, in which everyone works around 40 hours a week, was never based on how much work was good for people. Our research suggests that micro-jobs provide the same psychological benefits as full-time jobs," co-author and Cambridge sociologist Senhu Wang said.

Cox Media Group

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