It’s true that staying professional at work can help make the corporate climb easier, but professionalism doesn’t mean that you need to be as cold and unyeilding as a stone wall. It also means creating and maintaining sincere relationships with your colleagues. The good news is that investing time and effort in making friends has its own rewards, as having an office BFF group actually keeps you mentally healthy.
Based on 58 studies and findings from more than 19,000 people across the globe, researchers reveal that aside from being in the right job, getting the most out of your career is about having great relationships with the people you work with. The friendships you build keep you grounded amidst constant stress while maintaining your physcial and psychological wellness. This positive boost is brought about by the assurance that you are a part of something bigger, which makes you more at ease with whatever task you're handed with.
Lead researcher Dr. Niklas Steffens from the University of Queensland in Australia explains, “We are less burnt out and have greater well-being when our team and our organization provide us with a sense of belonging and community – when it gives us a sense of ‘we-ness.’”
So instead of just holing up in your cubicle and typing your day away, join your team for lunch and cultivate the current relationship you have with them. You’ll find that great office friendships makes everything easier, and can even turn you into the best you can be.
Source: Society for Personality and Social Psychology
