A Harvard study that was carried out for 85 years on about 700 participants from all over the world has found out the type of jobs which tend to be the unhappiest -- those that require little human interaction and don’t offer opportunities to build meaningful relationships with co-workers.
The study -- which asked the participants detailed questions about their lives every two years -- found that the secret to living a happier, healthier and longer life isn’t money, professional success, exercise or a healthy diet -- it's positive relationships.
“It’s a critical social need that should be met in all aspects of our lives,” Robert Waldinger, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, told CNBC Make It. “Plus, if you are more connected to people, you feel more satisfied with your job, and do better work.”
Workplace loneliness
Lonely jobs are common in emerging, tech-driven industries including package and food delivery services, where people often have no co-workers at all, or online retail, where employees on the same warehouse shift might not even know each other’s names because the work is “so fast and furious,” Waldinger told the publication. Jobs that involve more independent work than interpersonal relationships or require overnight shifts, such as truck driving and night security, also are some of the most isolating ones, the researcher added.
“Positive relationships at work lead to lower stress levels, healthier workers, and fewer days when we come home upset,” Waldinger said. “They also, simply, make us happier.”
Socialising for mental health
Researchers found that socialising at work can help reduce feelings of loneliness. “If you’re incentivised to work in teams, it’s easier to build positive relationships with your co-workers,” Waldinger told CNBC Make It. “But if you’re expected to be head-down with work by yourself all the time, or compete with others, that’s a different story.”
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