Why faking your emotions at work will make you unhappier

Putting on a brave face when you’re having a down day, trying not to grimace when your boss tells another corny joke and exchanging niceties with the co-worker that you just can’t see eye-to-eye with are part and parcel of employment.

We’ve become so accustomed to displaying the appropriate emotions at work that it’s become the norm. However, research has found that those who constantly have to ‘put on a face’ at work are more prone to burnout.

Just over half (51%) of employees admit that they always or frequently have to ‘act’ or ‘put on a show’ with their emotions at work, according to a survey by Leadership IQ, titled ‘Does Your Job Require High Or Low Emotional Intelligence?’

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Furthermore, that 51% who have to ‘put on a show’ are 32% less likely to love their job. In contrast, those that don’t have to put on a show are 59% less likely to dislike or hate their job.