February 9, 2023, MD Manat Phothaphon, Deputy Director General of the Department of Medical Services, said that the disease Karoshi or known as working to death It has been an ongoing problem in Japanese work society for almost 50 years until the term “Karoshi” was born. If translated from one kanji character, ka = too much / ro = overworked. Work / shi = death) and the word “Karoshi” were included in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2002.
Because Karoshi, when there is stress, the brain orders In order to secrete hormones, we call it the sympathetic adrenomedullary system. catecholamine cortisol is released by epinephrine and norepinephrine and the pituitary gland by the hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical system secretes cortisol. These hormones are called stress indicators because they are measured in your blood and urine when your body is under stress.
Under stress, these hormones are released in the blood causing the release of energy, sugars and fatty acids, triggering a life-saving response in humans. especially when faced with a crisis When humans experience stressful events, they have response mechanisms. to reduce that stress The response depends on the physiological or mental state of that person. If stress cannot be controlled, residual stress (residual stress) will occur, which will cause the cognitive mechanisms to force the body. or manifested physically or disease residual stress levels of catecholamine Always high in the blood and raising blood pressure This will make the blood vessels hard and thick. Increase in blood pressure and cause vascular disease
In addition, these hormones cause high levels of lipids in the blood. with blood coagulation and atherosclerosis by hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine associated with high blood pressure myocardial ischemia And cerebrovascular disease, cortisol also causes diseases of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes, reduced immunity. and cognitive decline Research has found that women who work more than 50 hours a week have cortisol levels twice as high as women who work more moderately.
Dr Kriengkrai Namthaisong, director of Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, revealed that working to death There are also psychological factors such as job demand management factors according to Karasek and Theorell’s theory. such as work that requires skill But the workers are inexperienced, which makes it impossible to manage the work to be as you wish. which will cause more stress
Balance between work and life It is a state of balance.an employeeBeing able to prioritize to be equal between what is assigned to work corresponds to what is assigned to personal life The reason why work and life balance cannot be achieved is to increase the responsibility of the job, making it impossible to leave work. working too many hours increasing responsibilities at home, having children, and having a work-life balance can have many positive effects, such as reducing stress, reducing the chance of burnout, and feeling more comfortable.
Employers who are committed to providing a work environment that supports work-life balance withan employeeit will reduce costs Less sickness absence AND employees will be loyal and work hard. sharing working hours And the hours at home are not enough to have a balance between life and work because we often don’t do that. What’s even better is flextime. by doing things that are work and they can spend time enjoying personal life too There may be some working days that are longer. Have the rest of the week to do other activities.
There are 7 ways to prevent “Karoshi” disease or work-to-death disease or ways to work to ensure a balance between life and work:
1. Accept that there is no perfect balance between life and work such as working no more than 8 hours a day and no more than 48 hours a week. Or during working hours, you don’t have to think about your child’s studies. In fact, some days I will be very focused on work. Because it’s fun and focused. On some days we may focus more on personal and family time than work time. Maintaining the balance will take time. It is not an everyday design. But we should open ourselves to step back and assess our own needs to see what we want.
2. Do what you like We don’t necessarily have to love every aspect of our job, but probably one of them motivates us to get out of bed and go to work in the morning. If our job is causing us stress, anxiety, and taking away our personal rest, that job is likely to be a problem. It’s time to find a new job.
3. Our health is the most important, both physical and mental health. If you need treatment, hurry up and get treatment, even if you have to leave work early or if you have to stop working, we may be able to work less. But I will be happier. and work more productively
4. Don’t be afraid to unplug yourself or go on vacation. reading books not related to work is simply unplugging It is a book that we want to read, reflect on, cut off all contact related to work for a moment. Taking a vacation for several days to recharge myself
5. Try to find time for the family. As a promise that cannot be made Remember that family is next to health.
6. Set the work period to prevent blackout When leaving work, don’t think about work or answer email problems.
7. Set goals and prioritize through scheduling. Cut out valuable or unimportant tasks first Don’t look at social media during work as it will be a distraction. Working hard increases productivity, which means more free time. in order to have time to relax after work
