Study: The negative effects of chronic stress on learning. Why do we value 90-hour workweeks?
People today are often told of how they work hard to succeed. This hard work is often celebrated and appreciated. However, you should also be aware of the potential effects that such work can have on your learning. A decrease in memory and cognitive abilities has been associated with chronic stress (Lighthall 2019, 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. Studies have shown that chronic stress can cause damage to the hippocampus as well as the prefrontal cortex. These are the regions in the brain responsible both for executive functions and memory. Chronic stress can also be linked to an increased level of cortisol (a hormone that may interfere with the creation of new memories) Miller et al. 2020. It is evident that people who work 90 hours a week are more likely to experience reduced cognitive function. Cont…