Employers should encourage their workers to let off steam in the office rather than bottle up their frustrations, scientists have advised.
According to the findings of a new study carried out by the Harvard Medical School, not only can moving away from a ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude be beneficial to a worker’s health, but it can also help with their career development.
Indeed, the researchers found that, of the cases analysed, workers who repressed their sense of professional frustration were three times more likely to see their career ambitions thwarted.
Meanwhile, those workers who ‘let it all out’ on a regular basis were more likely to have progressed further up the career ladder, though the study’s leader Professor George Valliant noted that negative emotions should be harnessed in the right way rather than simply lashing out at colleagues.
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"We all feel anger, but individuals who learn how to express their anger while avoiding the explosive and self-destructive consequences of unbridled fury have achieved something incredibly powerful in terms of overall emotional growth and mental health," the scientist explained.
Last month, Finnish researchers warned that working long hours could lead to long-term mental health issues, including dementia.
