How Many Hours Should You Work Each Week? A Practical Guide

In today’s demanding and fast-paced world, many people struggle to find the right balance between work and personal life. Especially for business owners, entrepreneurs, and freelancers, the pressure to constantly be productive can lead to working excessively long hours. It is often seen as a badge of honor to put in 60, 70, or even 80 hours a week, pushing oneself to the limit in pursuit of success.

However, working too many hours is not sustainable. It can negatively impact your physical health, mental well-being, relationships, and ultimately your work performance. Understanding how many hours you should ideally work each week is essential for creating a routine that maximizes productivity without sacrificing your health or happiness.

In this article, we will explore the concept of ideal work hours, the risks of overworking, and how to find a work schedule that suits you personally. But before diving into recommendations, the first crucial step is to examine your current work habits and determine how many hours you work.

How Many Hours Do You Work?

Most people have a vague idea of how long they work, but the reality often differs significantly from their perception. It is common to either overestimate or underestimate total work hours because work is not always a clearly defined or consistent activity. For example, many business owners or freelancers blend work with life so seamlessly that it becomes difficult to differentiate when work ends and personal time begins.

Why Tracking Your Work Hours Matters

Tracking your work hours is a simple but powerful tool for self-awareness. By objectively recording the hours you spend on work-related tasks, you gain insight into your daily routines, productivity patterns, and potential inefficiencies. This insight is the foundation for improving your time management and avoiding burnout.

Without tracking, it is easy to fall into the trap of working long hours without realizing it, or conversely, thinking you are working more than you are. Knowing the truth helps you set realistic expectations and create a schedule that truly reflects your workload.

How to Track Your Work Hours

There are multiple ways to track your work hours depending on your preferences and work style. Some prefer pen and paper or spreadsheets to log hours manually, while others find digital time-tracking apps more convenient and accurate.

When tracking, consider the following guidelines:

Include all work-related activities: This means not just the time spent on focused tasks but also emails, phone calls, meetings, commuting, and breaks related to work. Even thinking about work during non-working hours counts if it affects your mental energy.
Be honest and consistent: Accurately recording work hours requires honesty and consistency. Avoid rounding up or down too liberally. Capture real start and stop times for tasks.
Track multiple days or weeks: One day might not reflect your typical workload, so track over several days or weeks to get a representative sample.
Categorize tasks: If possible, note what type of work you are doing—deep focused work, administrative tasks, meetings, creative work, etc. This helps identify where your time goes.

Common Mistakes in Estimating Work Hours

People tend to make several common errors when estimating their work time:

Ignoring interruptions and multitasking: Switching between tasks or dealing with interruptions eats into productive time, but often goes uncounted.
Underestimating preparation or transition times: Time spent setting up for work, organizing, or mentally shifting focus is often overlooked.
Forgetting work done outside scheduled hours: Checking emails late at night or planning business strategies during downtime can add hours that are easy to ignore.
Including non-work activities by mistake: Sometimes people include leisure activities or breaks as work time, leading to inaccurate totals.

By carefully tracking and reviewing your time, you can avoid these pitfalls and develop a clear picture of your actual work hours.

The Difference Between Time Spent and Productive Hours

One important distinction when looking at work hours is between time spent at work and actual productive hours. Simply sitting at a desk for eight or ten hours does not guarantee high productivity. Long hours of unfocused or distracted work can lead to diminishing returns and wasted effort.

Understanding your productive hours helps you optimize your schedule. For example, if you work ten hours but only four are truly focused and effective, then it is better to concentrate on improving those four hours rather than adding more time.

Measuring productivity can be tricky, but it can be approximated by self-reflection, monitoring output, or using productivity tools that track task completion.

The Role of Breaks and Rest Periods

Tracking work hours also highlights the importance of breaks and rest. Taking short, regular breaks during the workday boosts focus, reduces fatigue, and improves overall efficiency. However, many people either skip breaks or take unplanned breaks that interrupt their flow.

When logging your work hours, note how often and how long you take breaks. Are these breaks refreshing, or do they lead to procrastination? Finding a healthy balance between focused work time and rest is essential for sustainable productivity.

How Work Hours Vary by Profession and Personality

The amount of time one should work each week can vary depending on profession, workload, and personal work style. Some jobs require long hours due to deadlines or client demands, while others have more flexible schedules.

Moreover, individual energy levels and focus capacity differ. Some people thrive with intense bursts of work followed by rest, while others prefer steady, moderate workloads throughout the day. Understanding your unique work rhythms helps tailor your ideal work hours.

Case Study: Typical Entrepreneur Workweek

Entrepreneurs often report working well over 50 or even 60 hours per week. This includes time spent on product development, marketing, customer service, administrative tasks, and strategic planning. Unlike employees with defined office hours, entrepreneurs’ work often spills into evenings and weekends.

While this dedication is admirable, research shows that consistently working very long hours without adequate rest can lead to burnout and health problems. Recognizing your current weekly work hours is the first step toward adjusting your schedule to maintain productivity and well-being.

Reflecting on Your Workweek

After tracking your work hours, take time to reflect:

How many hours are you working on average each week?
Are these hours mostly productive or filled with distractions?
Do you often feel overwhelmed or burned out?
Are you able to disconnect from work during personal time?
How do your work hours affect your health and relationships?

These questions help clarify whether your current work habits are sustainable or if changes are necessary.

How Many Hours Should You Work per Week?

Determining the ideal number of work hours per week is a question that many grapple with, especially in today’s culture that often equates longer hours with greater success. However, research and practical experience show that working excessively long hours is neither productive nor healthy.

There is no universal answer that fits everyone, as ideal work hours vary depending on individual circumstances, job types, and personal energy rhythms. Nonetheless, understanding general guidelines and the consequences of overworking helps create a more sustainable approach.

Standard Work Hours Around the World

Traditionally, a full-time job is considered to be around 35 to 40 hours per week. This standard emerged during the 20th century as labor laws and workers’ rights movements sought to limit excessive work hours that had been common during the Industrial Revolution.

Many countries and organizations still use the 40-hour workweek as a benchmark. This typically breaks down to eight hours a day over five days. It is designed to balance work demands with personal and family time.

This model works well for many office jobs, manufacturing roles, and other professions with clear daily start and end times. It allows workers to rest, engage in social activities, and recharge.

Why 40 Hours?

The 40-hour workweek is not arbitrary. It reflects research indicating that cognitive performance and productivity decline significantly after around eight hours of work. Fatigue, distraction, and reduced motivation set in, resulting in diminishing returns on effort.

Additionally, maintaining a work-life balance is vital for mental health. When people work reasonable hours, they have time for exercise, social interaction, hobbies, and relaxation, all of which contribute to better overall well-being and sustained motivation.

Do Longer Hours Mean More Productivity?

The assumption that longer hours translate directly into greater productivity is widespread but flawed. Research suggests that beyond a certain point, working longer hours harms productivity and quality of work.

For example, a study examining productivity in various industries found that output per hour declines when workers exceed 50 hours per week. After 55 hours, productivity falls so sharply that the additional hours become counterproductive.

Furthermore, overworking can lead to mistakes, poor decision-making, and decreased creativity — all of which negatively impact outcomes.

The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma: Working Long Hours

Entrepreneurs and business owners are often known for putting in extremely long hours. It is common to hear stories of working 60, 70, or even 80-hour weeks, fueled by passion and the drive to succeed.

While dedication is admirable, it is important to recognize that such intense schedules are often unsustainable and can lead to burnout, health problems, and even business failure. Many entrepreneurs report feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and isolated as a result of chronic overwork.

It is worth asking whether these long hours are necessary or if there are more effective ways to work smarter, not harder.

Maximum Recommended Work Hours for Health

Health research indicates that regularly working more than 50 hours per week can have serious negative effects on physical and mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have identified long working hours as a significant occupational risk factor.

Some of the health risks associated with long workweeks include:

Increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Studies show that working more than 10 hours a day (which adds up to more than 50 hours a week) increases the risk of heart disease by as much as 60 percent. The stress, sedentary lifestyle, and lack of rest contribute to this heightened risk.
Burnout and mental health disorders: Prolonged overwork is strongly linked to burnout, anxiety, and depression. Feeling emotionally exhausted, detached, and ineffective are common symptoms experienced by those who chronically exceed healthy work hours.
Poor sleep and fatigue: Long hours often cut into sleep time, causing chronic fatigue. Poor sleep quality impairs cognitive function, mood, and immune system health.
Increased substance use: To cope with stress and fatigue, some workers turn to stimulants like caffeine or unhealthy habits such as smoking or alcohol consumption, which further harm health.
Weakened immune system: Stress and lack of rest from overworking can reduce the body’s ability to fight infections and recover from illness.

Finding the Balance: Ideal Work Hours

Given the above, aiming for around 35 to 45 hours of focused, productive work per week is generally recommended for most people. This range allows enough time to achieve significant results while maintaining health and personal well-being.

Here are some key points to consider when determining your ideal work hours:

Quality over quantity: Focus on how effectively you use your work hours rather than how many hours you spend working. Ten highly productive hours can be more valuable than 20 distracted or unfocused ones.
Personal limits: Everyone has different energy levels and resilience. Some thrive with more hours, others need more rest. Pay attention to your body and mind’s signals.
Type of work: Creative or analytical tasks require more mental energy and may need shorter, more focused periods. Routine or physical work might be sustained for longer.
Work-life integration: Your work hours should leave sufficient time for rest, relationships, hobbies, and health-related activities like exercise and sleep.
Flexibility: Consider experimenting with flexible schedules or condensed workweeks, such as four-day workweeks or flexible start and finish times.

The Four-Day Workweek Movement

In recent years, the concept of the four-day workweek has gained popularity. Advocates argue that working fewer days with the same pay can boost productivity, reduce stress, and improve life satisfaction.

Several trials and studies worldwide have reported promising results, including:

Increased worker productivity and efficiency
Improved mental health and reduced burnout
Better work-life balance and employee satisfaction
Reduced absenteeism and turnover

However, adopting a four-day week depends heavily on the nature of your work and employer expectations. It may not be feasible for all industries or roles, but it remains an important trend challenging traditional work hour norms.

Tips for Avoiding Overwork

If you currently work more than 50 hours a week, consider these strategies to reduce hours while maintaining productivity:

Set clear boundaries: Define your work hours and stick to them. Avoid checking emails or working late at night.
Prioritize tasks: Focus on high-impact tasks and delegate or eliminate low-value activities.
Use time management techniques: Techniques like time-blocking and the Pomodoro method help structure your day for maximum focus.
Schedule breaks: Regular breaks prevent burnout and improve focus.
Track your time: Continue monitoring your work hours to ensure you stay within healthy limits.
Seek support: Outsource tasks, hire help, or use automation tools to reduce workload.

How to Decide How Many Hours to Work per Week

Deciding the right number of hours to work each week can be challenging, especially when you feel the weight of never-ending tasks and responsibilities. Unlike traditional jobs with fixed schedules, many professionals, entrepreneurs, and freelancers face the pressure to constantly be “on,” making it hard to set boundaries or recognize when enough is enough.

Understanding how to determine your ideal work hours is essential not just for productivity but for your long-term mental and physical health. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, it requires a thoughtful process of self-awareness, experimentation, and discipline.

We will guide you through practical steps and strategies to decide how many hours you should realistically work each week.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Workload and Hours

Before making changes, it’s crucial to understand how many hours you currently spend working. Many people overestimate or underestimate their work time. A clear picture helps in setting realistic goals.

Track your time: Use a time tracking tool or maintain a manual log for at least one week. Record everything related to work, including emails, meetings, breaks, and actual productive work. This reveals patterns and hidden time drains.
Analyze productivity: Note when during the day you feel most focused and when your energy dips. Are you spending many hours but getting little done? This insight helps you optimize hours rather than just reduce them.
Identify tasks: Categorize your work into high-impact activities (which move your business or goals forward) and low-value tasks (which could be delegated or eliminated). This helps prioritize work hours more effectively.

Step 2: Understand Your Energy Cycles

One key factor in deciding how many hours to work is knowing your energy rhythms. Everyone experiences natural fluctuations in alertness and motivation throughout the day.

Morning person or night owl? Some people perform best early in the day, while others peak in the afternoon or evening. Schedule your most demanding tasks during your peak hours.
Consider breaks and recovery: Your brain and body need time to recharge. Even if you have a 10-hour workday, productivity might only be optimal for 4-6 hours of focused work. Plan short breaks every 60-90 minutes to maintain energy.
Experiment: Try adjusting your schedule for a week or two, focusing on different parts of the day to discover when you work best.

Step 3: Set Realistic and Flexible Work Hour Goals

After understanding your current hours and energy patterns, set a target for how many hours you want to work each week. Keep in mind the recommended maximum of around 40-50 hours for health and productivity reasons.

Start gradually: If you’re used to working 60 hours, aim to reduce to 50, then 45, and so forth. Abrupt changes can feel overwhelming and reduce motivation.
Build flexibility: Allow some wiggle room for weeks with deadlines or important projects, but balance them with lighter weeks to recover.
Consider your personal life: Factor in your family commitments, social life, and hobbies. Work hours should not consume all your free time.

Step 4: Use Time Management Techniques to Maximize Productivity

Efficiently using your work hours is as important as how many hours you work. Better time management reduces wasted time and stress, allowing you to do more in less time.

Time blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time for different tasks or projects. This reduces multitasking and helps maintain focus.
Pomodoro Technique: Work intensely for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat four times and then take a longer break. This method can improve concentration and stave off fatigue.
Prioritize daily tasks: Use tools like to-do lists or prioritization methods such as the Eisenhower Matrix to focus on urgent and important tasks first.
Limit distractions: Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs or apps, and create a dedicated workspace.
Batch similar tasks: Group routine tasks like answering emails or scheduling calls together to avoid context switching.

Step 5: Learn to Say No and Delegate

One of the biggest reasons for overwork is taking on too many responsibilities or failing to delegate.

Set boundaries: Politely decline requests that do not align with your goals or that overload your schedule.
Outsource or delegate: Whether to a team member, virtual assistant, or automation tools, delegation frees up your time for higher-value work.
Avoid perfectionism: Striving for perfection can extend working hours unnecessarily. Focus on what is good enough to meet your objectives.

Step 6: Schedule Breaks and Time Off

Sustainable work habits include regular breaks and sufficient time off to recharge physically and mentally.

Breaks during work: Short breaks improve focus and prevent burnout. Stretch, take a walk, or practice mindfulness for a few minutes every hour.
Lunch breaks: Avoid eating at your desk. Taking a proper lunch break helps reset your mind.
Weekends and vacations: Respect your days off. Completely disconnecting from work prevents burnout and restores enthusiasm.
Power naps or exercise: Incorporate activities that boost energy and mood.

Step 7: Monitor and Adjust Regularly

Deciding how many hours to work isn’t a one-time event. Life circumstances, job demands, and personal energy change over time.

Review your schedule weekly: Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Adjust work hours and routines accordingly.
Listen to your body and mind: Pay attention to signs of fatigue, stress, or disengagement. These signal a need to reduce hours or change your approach.
Seek feedback: If you work with a team, clients, or mentors, ask for their perspective on your workload and productivity.

Step 8: Consider Your Long-Term Goals and Vision

Your ideal work hours should align with your broader life goals. Sometimes, working longer hours temporarily is necessary to meet a major goal, such as launching a business or finishing a project.

Define priorities: What matters most to you—financial goals, family time, health, learning new skills?
Balance short-term and long-term: Sacrificing health or relationships for work is rarely sustainable. Plan for periods of intensity followed by rest.
Adjust as you grow: Your capacity and goals may change over time. Be flexible.

Practical Examples

Imagine you currently work about 60 hours a week but feel drained and unproductive. After tracking your time, you realize that only 35 hours are spent on deep work, while the rest is spent on meetings and distractions.

Using the steps above, you could:

Shift your schedule to focus on high-impact tasks during your morning peak energy hours.
Delegate routine email handling to a virtual assistant.
Implement the Pomodoro technique to increase focus.
Reduce workdays to 5 with clear cut-off times and no weekend work.

Over a few weeks, this could bring your work hours down to 45 highly productive hours, improving both your results and well-being.

Another example could be a freelancer juggling multiple clients who feels overwhelmed. By categorizing tasks and saying no to new clients temporarily, they set a weekly work limit of 35 hours. They batch administrative work and dedicate mornings to creative projects. This structure reduces burnout and improves client satisfaction.

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Guilt over not working enough: Many people feel they must constantly work to prove their worth. Remember that rest is part of productivity.
Fear of losing income: Efficient work and prioritizing high-value tasks can maintain or increase earnings even with fewer hours.
Distractions and procrastination: Using time management methods and creating a dedicated workspace helps maintain focus.
Unexpected urgent tasks: Build buffer time into your schedule and practice saying no to non-essential demands.

Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

We consolidate everything you have learned about finding the ideal number of hours to work each week and creating a sustainable work-life balance. The goal is to reinforce the importance of maintaining a healthy relationship with work, understanding the risks of overworking, and implementing habits that foster both productivity and well-being.

Understanding the Risks of Overworking

Working long hours beyond your mental and physical capacity is more common than many realize, especially among entrepreneurs, freelancers, and professionals who manage their schedules. There can be an underlying cultural and personal pressure to “push harder” or equate busyness with success. However, science and experience consistently show that overworking can lead to serious consequences.

Excessive work hours increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Studies indicate that working more than 50 hours per week can raise the chance of heart-related issues by up to 60 percent. This risk underscores the fact that working long hours is not just about fatigue—it directly affects your physical health.

Burnout is another major concern. This mental and emotional exhaustion comes from sustained stress and imbalance between effort and reward. Symptoms include fatigue, irritability, lack of motivation, and decreased job satisfaction. Burnout can severely impair your ability to function well in your career and personal life.

Substance dependency also tends to rise with longer work hours. Many rely on stimulants like caffeine or even more harmful substances to keep going, which creates a vicious cycle of dependence and deteriorating health.

The evidence is clear: working too much is detrimental. Recognizing these risks early and taking steps to moderate your workload can save you from serious health issues down the road.

Sustainable Work Habits Are Essential

To avoid the pitfalls of overwork, adopting sustainable work habits is essential. This means balancing your working hours with rest and recovery, and being intentional about how you spend your time.

A sustainable work schedule maximizes productive hours without pushing you to exhaustion. Quality always matters more than quantity when it comes to work. Four focused hours of deep work can be far more valuable than 10 hours of distracted or unfocused activity.

This requires self-awareness and discipline. You need to identify your peak energy times, manage distractions effectively, and be willing to say no or delegate tasks that do not align with your priorities.

Using time management strategies like time blocking or the Pomodoro technique helps keep you on track and prevents burnout. Regular breaks, physical movement, and disconnecting from work in the evenings and weekends are equally important.

The Myth of the “Hustle Culture”

In many entrepreneurial and creative communities, there is a glorification of long hours and “hustle culture.” While passion and dedication are vital, relentless work without balance is counterproductive.

Success is not measured by the number of hours worked but by the impact of your work and your ability to sustain effort over time. The most successful professionals and entrepreneurs prioritize their health, rest, and personal lives because these are the foundations of sustained productivity.

It’s important to challenge the notion that working 70 or 80 hours a week is a badge of honor. This mindset encourages unhealthy work patterns and ignores the benefits of rest and balance.

Listening to Your Body and Mind

Your body and mind are your best guides for how many hours you should work. Physical signs like chronic fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, or sleep disturbances indicate that you may be pushing too hard.

Mentally, feelings of anxiety, irritability, or lack of motivation are red flags that your work-life balance needs adjustment. Paying attention to these signals and respecting them by modifying your schedule is crucial.

Develop habits that promote mental wellbeing alongside physical health. Mindfulness practices, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and social connection all contribute to resilience and better work performance.

Customizing Your Ideal Workweek

The ideal number of work hours varies greatly from person to person. Factors such as your job type, energy levels, responsibilities, and personal goals influence what works best for you.

While 35 to 40 hours per week is a common recommendation for full-time workers, many people find that somewhere between 40 and 50 hours is the maximum sustainable range for them. Beyond this, productivity and health often decline.

Experimentation is key. Try different schedules and observe how they affect your productivity and well-being. Consider options like a four-day workweek, flexible hours, or splitting your workday into distinct focus periods with ample breaks.

By customizing your work schedule to fit your unique needs, you are more likely to maintain motivation, avoid burnout, and achieve your goals.

Practical Tips to Maintain Balance

Incorporate these practical tips into your routine to support a sustainable work schedule:

Set clear boundaries around your work hours and communicate them to colleagues, clients, and family.
Create a dedicated workspace to separate work from personal life.
Plan regular physical activity and relaxation techniques to reduce stress.
Use technology wisely by turning off notifications outside work hours and limiting social media during work.
Take regular vacations and mental health days to recharge.
Keep track of your workload and adjust proactively to avoid overload.

Long-Term Benefits of a Balanced Work Schedule

Choosing to work reasonable hours and prioritizing health over relentless work leads to numerous long-term benefits:

Enhanced creativity and problem-solving ability due to better mental clarity.
Increased job satisfaction and motivation.
Stronger relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
Lower risk of chronic illnesses related to stress and overwork.
Improved overall quality of life.

Ultimately, balancing work hours with rest and personal time helps you build a career and life that is fulfilling, productive, and sustainable.

Conclusion

Deciding how many hours a week you should work is a personal journey shaped by your health, goals, and lifestyle. Overworking is harmful not only to your body and mind but also to your productivity and success.

By understanding the risks, assessing your current habits, learning your energy patterns, and adopting effective time management techniques, you can create a work schedule that works for you.

Remember, the quality of your work matters more than the quantity of your hours. Protect your mental and physical health by setting reasonable limits, taking breaks, and making time for rest.

Work smarter, not longer. In doing so, you lay the foundation for a sustainable, successful, and balanced career.