Feeling down... Excessive work hours to blame, but lack of work too!

After the hibernation period in the northern hemisphere, it's unfortunately not uncommon to see the beginning of January marked by doubt. In a way, it's a classic self-evaluation after a break from normal life. But if you work in finance, it can be more serious for two reasons: your actual working time and what you consider appropriate.

Endless weeks aren't the only cause of these morale drops; the mismatch between the time you want to spend working could also play a role.

So while people working more than 64 hours a week are at a higher risk of depression, those working less than 35 French hours a week can also be affected. The greater the gap between the real and the ideal, the greater the risk.

In professions like finance, which often attract people seeking a form of self-validation in endless work weeks, the phenomenon may affect not only those who will be overworked in 2024, but also those who won't be sufficiently busy. That's why some people who leave banking to join the supposedly easier corporate development sector struggle to adjust.

As shown in the graph below, from the study, the optimal number of working hours per week would be between 40 and 46 hours. However, this applies to all sectors and is not specific to finance.

Nevertheless, the general conclusion is likely still valid. The decrease in morale is caused by a mismatch between the number of actual working hours and the desired number of working hours. To feel fulfilled this year, it would be wise to align the two.