New Research Explores Mental Health Costs of Emotional Labor at Work

Kash Afshar, UM assistant professor of marketing, and Omar Itani, associate professor of marketing at Lebanese American University, recently published their team's findings in Industrial Marketing Management. The study looks at how image management – curating a work persona – can affect mental health and well-being in the long run.

"We are all under a lot of pressure, a lot of deadlines at work, right?" Afshar said. "We wanted to look at the different factors that threaten employee's mental health and lead to emotional exhaustion.

"One such factor that is very interesting to us was emotional labor."

The term emotional labor is managing emotions to fulfill the expectations of a job or social role, or pretending to feel differently than you actually do. Afshar and Itani's research looked specifically at salespersons.

"Managing emotions to meet job demands can lead to exhaustion, dissatisfaction and negative customer reactions," Itani said. "Job satisfaction is essential for overall well-being, emphasizing the need for supportive workplace cultures.

"Employees should not be forced to act but encouraged to be genuine, as authentic interactions foster better customer relationships and contribute to long-term organizational success."

In sales roles, where employees often face rejection, the pressure to perform can lead to significant emotional strain. More than 70% of people working in sales also reported struggling with mental health in the 2024 State of Mental Health in Sales report.

"Salespeople are expensive employees," Afshar said. "They bring in money for the organization. So, if they miss an opportunity, it means that there's no money coming in.

"When a salesperson burns out, it's not just a loss of the person, but it's also everything they bring to the company."

The researchers identified two key drivers of burnout and mental health struggles: emotional labor and customer injustice, or when a customer treats a salesperson poorly.

"We are limited in terms of the resources that we have, both cognitive resources and emotional resources," Afshar said. "That emotional regulation spends a lot of resources, which leads to job dissatisfaction and emotional burnout."

While there is no one solution, Afshar's upcoming research will look at the benefit of mindfulness exercises in dealing with emotional burnout and the mental strain of work.

"Mindfulness is distancing yourself from the situation without judging your feelings," the Ole Miss researcher said. "Looking at the situation for what it is, not internalizing it."

But managers, too, can play a role in helping employees be more authentic – and less likely to "fake it" – at work, Itani said.

"A supportive work environment with mental health resources, autonomy and regular check-ins is essential," he said. "Enhancing emotional intelligence through training helps employees manage emotions effectively, fostering authentic interactions.

"Ethical leadership, recognition and self-regulation strategies, such as mindfulness and stress management, further support employee well-being."

Having an open relationship with employees so that they feel comfortable sharing problems or stresses with managers is also key to helping them feel supported, Afshar said.

"Communication is the key here," Afshar said. "When employees can communicate their problems, they aren't dealing with problems alone. When they feel safe talking to their managers, their colleagues, it tends to remove some of that burden."

Afshar's last recommendation for a person who may be experiencing burnout or mental strain is simple: Make sure the goals of your workplace align with yours.

"There are two entities at play here: your individual self and your organizational self," he 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 and what your job requires you to be."

The publications authors also include Colin Gabler, associate professor of marketing at Auburn University; Ashish Kalra, assistant professor of management and marketing at the University of Dayton, and Raj Agnihotri, assistant dean of industry engagement at Iowa State University.

Top: Faking emotions at work could lead to burnout and negatively affect mental health, according to a recent study from an Ole Miss researcher and colleagues. Photo illustration by Stefanie Goodwiller/University Marketing and Communications