Want to Be Better at Your Job? This Study Says Having More Sex Could Help
The results of a new Oregon State University study suggest a good sex life could lead to an increase in job satisfaction.
While the results are titillating, they may not be enough to get your boss to let you take an hour of paid time off each week to get frisky.
But you should ask anyway.
Three Cheers for Validation
OSU researchers surveyed 159 married workers twice a day for two weeks.
“They found that employees who engaged in sex reported more positive moods the next day, and the elevated mood levels in the morning led to more sustained work engagement and job satisfaction throughout the workday,” the OSU College of Business reports.
Maybe it’s just me, but don’t those results seem rather, well, obvious?
After all, one of the fundamentals of a healthy and happy relationship is a mutually satisfying sex life. If your personal life is going well, your good mood will spill into other areas of your life — including work.
On the other hand, any research that validates and promotes a healthy sex life is worth its weight in oysters.
Bring Sexy Back
Glaringly self-evident or not, the results are illustrative of the impact our personal lives have on our jobs and make a very compelling case for making sure we pay attention to our work-life balance.
“This is a reminder that sex has social, emotional and physiological benefits, and it’s important to make it a priority,” says researcher Keith Leavitt.
“Just make time for it.”
That means turning off the TV, crating the dog for the evening and, for the love of all things sexy, logging out of your work email and messaging platforms.
After all, you can’t unwind if your pump is constantly primed to be on the lookout for messages about the next client meeting or job training event.
Don’t Stress If You’re Single
This study may have only assessed married people’s sex lives, but I’m reasonably certain the results can be extended to anyone having regular sex, regardless of marital or relationship status.
In fact, researchers note that respondents “reported increased positive affect at work the following day, independent of the effects of marital satisfaction.”
The takeaway message here is sexually-fulfilled employees are happier, more productive employees, but single workers shouldn’t feel like they’re at a disadvantage.
The research found a connection between sex and increased job satisfaction. The fact that respondents were married is incidental.
And remember, while surveys provide interesting data points, the results are always open to interpretation.
Your turn: How do you maintain a good work-life balance in your life?
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She won’t be able to look any of her co-workers in the eye for the rest of the month in case any of them seem overly happy. It’ll just be awkward.
