People Who Love Their Jobs All Have One Thing In Common At Work
It can make the long looming work day ahead just a little more bearable.
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock The significance of genuine connections in the workplace is often overlooked as many prefer to keep their professional and personal lives separate. However, Erwin McManus, an award-winning author and founder of Mosaic, shared on The Minimalists podcast the one thing that people who love their jobs have in common.
McManus revealed that having work friends can help combat burnout.
"Most people are burned out at work not because their job is hard but because they have no friends," McManus began. The 65-year-old pastor, who has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, explained that there is value in having at least one beloved friend at work.
"In fact, I think most studies show that people love their job if they have one good friend at work," McManus continued. He shared that at Mosaic, there is even a person on his team "whose entire responsibility is to make sure that everyone's living in community on the staff."
McManus acknowledged that hard work in a job can be exhilarating for people, but only if they have friends. Alternately, easy work can quickly become overwhelming when you're alone. "I would say burnout has nothing to do with how hard the job is," McManus explained, "but how alone [a person] feels."
There is a staggering amount who admit to feeling burned out in their jobs.
According to research from Future Forum, burnout has been steadily rising since the spring of 2021. Of the 10,243 full-time desk-based workers that were polled in six countries, including the United States, over 40% said they are burned out.
The World Health Organization defines burnout as an increased mental distance from one’s job, feelings of energy depletion and negativism.
Two specific groups are more at risk for burnout: women and workers under 30. Nearly half of 18-to-29-year-olds said they feel drained compared to 40% of their peers aged 30 and up, while women (46%) reported higher levels of burnout than men (37%).
As McManus mentioned, many people have found that having work friends can help combat feelings of loneliness, but it can actually do much more than that. In addition to preventing burnout, work friendships boost job satisfaction and productivity — and can even benefit your health.
Having friends in the workplace is linked to better mental health, fewer traumatic experiences and potentially even a longer lifespan.
Not only are work friends a source of emotional support, especially in high-stress work environments, but they also alleviate some of the day-to-day work stressors.
Simply taking a break and going for a walk or coordinating lunch breaks with work friends can greatly reduce the feelings that come with burnout, and even improve overall job satisfaction. Knowing you're going to see a friend at your job can make the long looming work day ahead just a little more bearable.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.