‘I noticed change to my body after switching to four-day working week’

A psychotherapist who moved to a four-day working week says the change completely revolutionised her health, enabling her to shed pounds, gain strength and finally bounce back from years of burnout. Fresh research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul indicates that lengthy working hours may be connected to elevated obesity levels, with experts cautioning that stress, insufficient exercise and dependence on convenience food can all harm health. The study revealed that every one per cent decrease in working hours was linked to a 0.16 per cent drop in obesity rates.

Now, 51-year-old Manchester-based psychotherapist and coach Susie Masterson says cutting her workload provided her with the time and vitality to concentrate on her wellbeing in ways previously impossible. Prior to retraining as a therapist, Susie spent two decades in the tech industry, frequently accumulating gruelling 60-hour weeks. Speaking to The i, she said: “I experienced multiple instances of burnout in that role. There were such highs and lows, and the pressure was constant.”

The draining lifestyle impacted both her physical and mental wellbeing, resulting in migraines, digestive issues and skin flare-ups she now suspects were stress-induced. Despite forking out for therapy and personal training, she found it increasingly difficult to keep up healthy habits owing to her relentless schedule. “I felt like I was investing in myself because I was paying for a personal trainer and therapy, but I wasn’t actually managing to stay on top of it all,” she explained.

The strain of gruelling long hours also took a toll on her eating habits. Susie recalled surviving on processed food, caffeine and hasty snacks, while frequently forgetting to eat entirely when absorbed in her work. “I used to have what I jokingly called the ‘breakfast of champions’, which was a Diet Coke and a Mars bar,” she said.

After departing the tech industry and setting up on her own as a psychotherapist a decade ago, matters initially took a turn for the better. Yet gradually, the emotional weight of supporting clients began to wear her down once more.

“It’s a very intense, isolating job,” she said. Approaching her late forties, Susie started experiencing symptoms she attributed to perimenopause, among them weight gain, anxiety and the reemergence of migraines. While hormone replacement therapy offered some relief, she came to recognise that something more profound was amiss.

“I was yet again burnt out,” she said. Resolute in her determination to break the cycle, she chose to trial a four-day working week two years ago, before making the arrangement permanent in January 2026 — at the cost of a portion of her salary. What took her by surprise most was how she utilised her additional day away from the office. “At first, I thought Wednesday would be a creative day for me, where I could write my book,” she explained. “But I quickly realised having that time meant I was gravitating towards exercising first, doing things like meal prep and batch cooking.”

The mid-week respite soon evolved into what she now calls her “Total Health Day”. She started incorporating brief periods of movement throughout Wednesdays, progressively working up to extended strength-training sessions. Those habits subsequently carried over into weekends as well.

The outcomes have been striking. “I’ve not only lost 10kg, I’ve also lost hidden, visceral fat around my organs, and increased my ratio of muscle to fat,” she said.

Susie added that she now feels physically stronger and more flexible than before, with long-standing hip pain disappearing entirely. She said: “I used to have a lot of joint pain in my hip and wondered if it was arthritis. But now, I have no pain at all.”

She also credits the heightened emphasis on wellbeing with enhancing her professional output and creative thinking. “Focusing on diet and exercise on that day off has actually given me more capacity to do the creative work I originally thought I’d do on my non-working day,” she said.

“I genuinely do believe that working just four days a week has given me more capacity to understand my health and the health of others. It’s really changed what I do with my body.”

Her experience reflects broader findings emerging from four-day working week trials. Last year, a Scottish Government-backed pilot involving two public sector organisations — South of Scotland Enterprise and Accountant in Bankruptcy — found staff reported major improvements in mental health, work-life balance and stress levels after moving to a four-day pattern.

Research conducted by the Autonomy Institute revealed that employees were overwhelmingly in favour of the change, with many describing the impact as “life-changing”.