Study Finds Work Attitude and Home Life Intertwined

While not everyone is crazy about the work they do or the company they work for, a change in attitude could be good for their health. According to a new study from Kansas State University, invigorated and dedicated employees carry their positive work experiences into their personal life to create a happier home life.

Science Daily recently posted a release examining this study, which was the result of researchers evaluating how positive work experiences extend into family life and facilitate family interactions. They found that those employees who were engaged in their work, had higher levels of vigor, more dedication and were absorbed in daily activities had better moods and more satisfaction at home.

“Our research indicated that individuals who were engaged in positive experiences at work and who shared those experiences with significant others perceived themselves as better able to deal with issues at home, became better companions and became more effective overall in the home environment,” Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of psychology, said in Science Daily.

Researchers found that stress at work and stress at home interacts in ways that affect outcomes in both domains. Findings from the study also suggest that engagement is significantly related to daily mood, which is positively correlated with work-family facilitation. Both work engagement and work-to-family facilitation can vary considerably from day-to-day.

“Just because an employee might not be invigorated or dedicated to his or her work on a Monday doesn’t mean he or she won’t be engaged on Tuesday or vice versa,” Culbertson said. “Additionally, one’s work can facilitate things at home to a different extent depending on the day and what has happened on that particular day.”

This makes sense to me because I know that how I feel about the work I’m doing impacts the rest of my life. Sometimes in early recovery you can’t do much about it – you might feel lucky you still have a job. But at some point, examining the impact your particular job has on your psyche is important because your career decisions may have been compromised when you were drinking or using.