For Long Life, Love your Colleagues!

Do you have a great relationship with your colleagues at work?  If not, the chances of you dying earlier than those who have good relationships is lower by 250%!

Next time that obnoxious co-worker comes to you and starts on his/her tirade, just flash that number and hopefully that will help push the message across.  In a study published in “Health Psychology”,  Dr. Toker and her TAU colleagues Prof. Arie Shirom and Yasmin Alkaly, along with Orit Jacobson and Ran Balicer from Clalit Healthcare Services – have found by following health records of 820 people who worked an average of 8.8 hours over 20 years.

Here is the startling discovery:

During the course of the study, 53 participants died, most of whom had negligible social connections with their co-workers.

The main conclusion of the study is:

A lack of emotional support at work led to a 140 per cent increased risk of dying in the next twenty years compared to those who reported supportive co-worker.

What it leads to is that not only should you have good relationships with your colleagues but also have good social connections with them.