Life
How Your Sex Life Affects Your Career
Per-Erik Muskos, a Swedish politician, recently made headlines after advocating for one-hour paid employee sex breaks. He made the argument that couples today don't have enough time to spend together. While studies found having more sex can increase relationship satisfaction, as it turns out there's an added bonus — it may also lead to a better career. According to new research published in the Journal of Management, having sex can improve your performance and satisfaction at work.
Researchers from Oregon State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Oregon conducted a study of 159 employed, married adults. For two weeks, participants were asked to keep a daily diary based on survey questions provided. Questions ranged from how many times an individual had sex between the end of their work shift and the time they made a diary entry, to how happy they were at work that day.
"A healthy sex life can reduce stress and make you more recharged for the long workdays ahead," Helen Odessky Psy.D., psychologist and author of Stop Anxiety From Stopping You tells Bustle. When you have emotional intimacy in your life, it can help normalize any challenges you may be facing in your career, and it might even help push you further towards your professional goals.
Here's what the study found:
1When Employees Had Sex The Night Before, They Showed Up To Work In A Good Mood
Since employees were in good spirits, they were much more engaged at work, performed better, and were much more satisfied with their job.
2Effects Can Last Up to 24 Hours
The mood-boosting, performance enhancing effects of sex lasted for up to 24 hours in some people. Both men and women experienced the effects, regardless of marital satisfaction and the amount of sleep they had the night before.
3Bringing Your Work Stress Home Can Kill The Mood
In many situations, the study found, bringing work-related stress back home reduced the chances of having sex that night. So it's important to leave work at work, and just relax when you get home.
At the core of it, the study highlights the importance of finding that work-life balance. No matter how much you love your job, it's also important to have something else outside of that. It really doesn't have to be sex, but this study definitely makes a good argument for why you should be having more weekday sex. There are so many benefits to orgasming already, it's good to see job performance and satisfaction being added to that list.
