Study: Fake It Til You Make It Could Drain Mental Health

We’ve all heard of “fake it til you make it”, but could this approach lead to burnout? Researchers from the University of Mississippi and Lebanese American University found that salespeople who “surface act” at work are more likely to experience mental exhaustion. However, salespeople who are genuinely trying to feel emotions do not experience the same harm. Also, when customers detect that a salesperson is being “fake”, they tend to be less kind, which can compound the harm employees feel. Other reports have shown that 63% of salespeople struggle with mental health issues. “There are two entities at play here: your individual self and your organizational self,” Khashayar Afshar Bakeshloo said. “The best way forward would be when these two different identities are aligned. Look for those jobs that are in agreement in terms of who you are.” (Study Finds)