Girls! A work wife is good for your mental health

Work life is never easy. Some days are tougher than others. Some tough days can turn into tougher weeks and even months. But if science is to be believed, having a work-wife is a great stress release. Regardless of how much you love or hate your job, having someone you can confide in – named work wife – can be a great way to make your workplace a happier place.
The research was conducted in the University of Melbourne, by Dr. Vanessa Pouthier. She analysed and examined a group of colleagues in a US hospital for a time period of 12 months. She found out that when team members laughed together, while also engaging in a ‘health dose’ of complaining, it has a good overall effect on the employees’ morale and mental health.
Dr Pouthier shared, “Generally, people don’t think there’s any value to it or they think it has no place in the workplace. It helps people to process stress and frustration and you notice palpable changes when team members engaged in both activities.”

As part of the study, it was revealed that when work colleagues bond over specific situations at work, it can immensely help them in overcoming negative feelings. They end up recognising how they all are facing the same challenges and also have similar feelings about those challenges.

The researcher also shared, “One of the best things in the team I observed, was that these griping rituals helped doctors and nurses realise they were feeling the same way about situations and they weren’t that different.”

What’s more interesting is that ranting and then joking about a situation at work, can actually turn a problematic situation into a source of humour.

So if you feel guilty ranting about your work life with your colleagues, trust us when we tell you, it is all for a good cause. This is indeed helping you take care of your mental health.