A little bit of what you fancy

Some very interesting news from People Management for those of us invested in improving employee engagement. They report that researchers at Oregon State University have identified that people who have a healthy and active sex life tend to have higher job satisfaction and employee engagement levels. One town in Sweden is discussing the introduction of hour-long subsidised breaks during the day so that couples can go home and enjoy some intimate time together.

The study also noted that those who take their work stresses home with them find that it has a negative impact on their sex lives, and their engagement levels are falling.

Perhaps this is something that we’ve always known, but not put together. Those with healthy, happy home relationships have support to deal with a difficult day at work, they also have the ability to prioritise their relationships and personal needs, bringing about a greater balance. Equally, feeling positive about our home lives can often mean that we approach our work with enthusiasm, energy and a problem solving attitude. In contrast, taking our work woes home with us can mean that we also take the negativity and energy-sapping stress with us too, negativity breeds negativity, and so we end up in a downward spiral.

I think that sometimes we need to be reminded that our personal relationships and our own needs need to be recognised and prioritised, giving us a greater feeling of worth and security which spills over into a positive approach at work. It can be tough to stop a negative, downward spiral, maybe we need approach things differently and focus on our relationships, making sure that we are happy and fulfilled at home first.