Most lawyers work long hours, well beyond the traditional nine-to-five workday, with the average lawyer working 66 hours a week. We’ve gotten used to being exhausted all the time, with sleep being a luxury, rather than a basic need.
However, a new study suggests that starting work before 10 a.m. is equivalent to torture. Paul Kelley, of Oxford University, says that the usual nine-to-five workday is fundamentally out of sync with the human body’s natural circadian rhythms. According to Kelley, conventional working hours are a “serious threat” to mood, workplace productivity, and mental health.
See the following articles for more information:
- Top 14 Ways Attorneys Can Avoid Burnout from the Stress of Practicing Law
- I’m Exhausted But Can’t Sleep Most Nights Due to Stress – What Should I Do?
Before the age of 55, people are simply not wired to be productive, or even functional, until 10 a.m. And sleep deprivation is a legitimate health concern in today’s society.
Lack of sleep is tied to dozens of physical and mental health problems. Additionally, the body is “attuned to sunlight,” and trying to change its natural patterns is simply not possible. Despite employers’ best efforts, they are actually hurting their businesses by requiring staff to work before 10 am, affecting employees’ performance and even their fundamental health.
“We’ve got a sleep-deprived society,” Dr. Kelley told the British Science Festival. “It is hugely damaging on the body’s systems…affecting physical emotional and performance systems in the body…Everybody is suffering, and they don’t have to.”
So it would actually be in your bosses’ best interest to give you later days and shorter hours. But good luck convincing them that’s true.