Do you force smiles at work?

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In the workplace, one has little choice but to appear positive and smiling most of the time. The interface cites foreign research indicating that forcing smiles and pretending to be positive at the workplace not only does not improve work efficiency or performance, but it also has an impact on one’s personal emotional life outside of work. I. The American professional website Ladders conducted a survey of nearly 1,000 full-time employees on the topic of \"pretending to be happy at work.\" The findings showed that: • Women are more likely than men to pretend to be happy, and they also care more about their sense of happiness in the office than men do ； • Ordinary employees find it easier to suppress their emotions than those with experience; they must wear a smile even when they are unhappy ； • Low-income groups are more inclined to disguise themselves. II. Beneath their smiles, professionals in the workplace hide their true feelings even deeper: • Among those dissatisfied with their work, nearly a quarter still share positive images of their work life on social media ； • Poor sleep has become a reflection of the real situation; despite having smiles on their faces, 66% of people say they do not get enough sleep. III. Do bosses know that their employees are forcing smiles? • Among the managers interviewed, 81% said they could tell when employees were pretending to be happy. • Over half of the respondents hoped that these employees would share the reasons for their unhappiness, while about a quarter of managers preferred it when employees showed negative emotions rather than pretending to be happy. • Harvard Business Review also points out that low happiness is a cause of low job commitment. In the United States, low job commitment may result in economic losses of $500 billion per year. IV. Can forcing smiles at work ensure smooth progress? It won’t. When employees pretend to be happy, 35 minutes are wasted on average per day, which means nearly three hours are lost per week. Low work efficiency directly affects promotion. Pretending to be happy won’t lead to a genuine positive attitude toward work either. Productivity and promotions are victims of pretending to be happy. Forcing smiles at work can also affect one’s personal life • 89% of employees who pretend to be happy say they are exhausted after work; these people turn to compensatory negative behaviors such as complaining, watching TV for long periods, and eating junk food. • Pretending to be happy at work for too long makes it difficult to experience true happiness, which can affect one’s romantic relationships.