Do you fake your smile at work? A study says such employees drink more after office hours

If you are one of those who force themselves to smile at work, it’s important that you start keeping a tab on your drinking habits.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, people who fake their smile at work tend to drink more after office hours.

The researchers from the University of Buffalo and Penn State analysed the data of more than 1,500 professionals who worked in public-dealing roles, including teaching, nursing, and customer services.

The participants were asked questions related to their drinking habits, how much autonomy they felt they have at their work, and how impulsive they were. These workers were also asked how often they faked their smile or suppressed their true emotions and the researchers termed this as ‘surface acting’.

The study concluded that employees who faked their smile and dealt with public (including customers and clients) at work tended to drink more alcohol than other employees. Also, the relationship between surface acting and drinking was stronger in cases where the participants were impulsive by nature or who lacked autonomy in the workplace.

The researchers believe that when workers hold back or suppress their emotions during office hours and there is money involved in showing positive feelings, they end up practising lots of self-control. They might get drained by the end of the day and may not have much self-control to regulate their alcohol intake.

The research also concluded that surface acting is less likely to impact the personal life of an employee when he or she believes that the job offers some financial or relational efforts. For instance, a nurse might up benefiting from surface acting by making a strong relationship with his or her patient. However, someone faking a smile for a customer, whom he or she might never meet or see again in life, might not be much rewarding.

The researchers believe using the insights of this study can help to create a healthier work environment for professionals across the world. One of the solutions is to provide a little more autonomy to such professionals that give them the feeling of being in charge of their own work.