It’s likely that you experience a variety of negative emotions every day — from waking up on the wrong side of the bed, to feeling frustrated during your commute, to being bothered by the pile of emails that awaits you at work. But you probably don’t express all those emotions once you get to work. After all, there are implicit norms for treating those around you with respect and courtesy, and you don’t want to create the impression that you’re constantly frustrated or irritated with them. You may also have heard about the benefits of maintaining a more optimistic outlook.
Don’t Just Put on a Happy Face at Work
Research on the risks of pretending to feel optimistic.
February 19, 2020
Summary.
There are a number of reasons to hide our frustrations and negative thoughts at work. But the way you do so matters. The authors research shows that genuine attempts to feel better yourself offers more benefits compared to simply faking your emotions. Participants in a study who made more of a genuine effort were more likely to receive emotional and material help from colleagues, and reported productivity gains over those who merely “put on a happy face.”
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