The Hidden Mental Health Costs of Faking a Smile at Work

In today’s fast-paced and competitive work environment, maintaining a positive demeanor is often considered essential. The phrase “fake it till you make it” has become a mantra in many professional circles, urging employees to project confidence and happiness, even when they might not genuinely feel that way. While this approach may offer short-term benefits, recent studies highlight the alarming mental health costs associated with consistently pretending to be happy at work.

A recent study published in Industrial Marketing Management sheds light on the emotional toll that sales professionals, in particular, experience due to the pressure to maintain a cheerful and positive attitude. Salespeople often engage in what psychologists call “emotional labor”—the effort required to manage emotions in professional settings. However, this constant emotional performance can lead to severe mental health issues, including burnout, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal tendencies.

The Concept of Emotional Labor

Emotional labor refers to the management of emotions to meet job expectations, particularly in roles requiring direct customer interaction. It can manifest in two primary forms:

1. Surface Acting – This involves displaying emotions that are not genuinely felt, such as forcing a smile or pretending to be enthusiastic.

2. Deep Acting – This requires employees to align their internal emotions with the expected outward behavior, essentially altering their true feelings to match workplace demands.

Sales roles, customer service, healthcare, and education professions often require employees to engage in emotional labor, making it a widespread phenomenon across industries.

The Hidden Mental Health Toll

The pressure to maintain a positive outlook, especially in high-stakes roles like sales, creates an environment ripe for emotional exhaustion. Sales professionals face continuous stress due to targets, customer rejection, and performance expectations. According to reports, about 63% of salespeople experience mental health issues, and these challenges have only intensified in the post-pandemic era as customer expectations and work pressures continue to evolve.

Dr. Khashayar Afshar Bakeshloo, co-author of the study from the University of Mississippi, emphasizes, “We wanted to explore the different factors that threaten employees’ mental health and lead to emotional exhaustion. Emotional labor was a significant factor in our research.”

The study surveyed 313 B2B sales professionals across various industries and found that employees’ moral character significantly influences how they manage emotional labor and, in turn, their mental well-being.

Surface Acting vs. Deep Acting: Which is More Harmful?

Surface acting, where employees display emotions they do not genuinely feel, is particularly detrimental to mental health. This form of emotional labor creates a disconnect between the individual’s true emotions and their outward behavior, leading to feelings of inauthenticity and emotional exhaustion. Over time, this disconnect can result in burnout, job dissatisfaction, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

On the other hand, deep acting, which requires employees to internally align their emotions with professional expectations, is less harmful but still taxing. Salespeople who adopt deep acting are more likely to genuinely feel enthusiastic or positive, which reduces emotional dissonance. The study found that employees with strong moral values (referred to as “moral identity internalization”) are more inclined toward deep acting and experience lower stress levels.

Conversely, employees who are more concerned with appearing moral to others (“moral identity symbolization”) tend to switch between surface and deep acting, increasing their risk of emotional exhaustion and job dissatisfaction.

The Downward Spiral: When Faking It Backfires

Customers are perceptive and can often detect when an employee is being insincere. Negative customer reactions—such as skepticism, hostility, or dismissiveness—can exacerbate a salesperson’s stress and dissatisfaction. This feedback loop of forced emotional labor and negative customer interaction leads to a vicious cycle of declining mental health and job satisfaction.

Omar Itani from the Lebanese American University, co-author of the study, explains, “Managing emotions to meet job demands can lead to exhaustion, dissatisfaction, and negative customer reactions. Job satisfaction is crucial for overall well-being, emphasizing the need for supportive workplace cultures.”

Salespeople, especially, find themselves trapped between the need to meet sales quotas and the emotional strain of maintaining a happy facade. The constant need to display positivity, regardless of personal struggles or job pressures, creates a harmful environment that ultimately affects not only the individual employee but also the company’s bottom line.

Business Implications: More Than Just Employee Well-being

Employee burnout has significant financial implications for businesses. According to estimates, poor employee well-being costs U.S. businesses around $500 billion annually, resulting in 550 million lost workdays. For sales teams, in particular, burnout can lead to missed sales opportunities, affecting the organization’s revenue.

Dr. Afshar notes, “Salespeople are expensive employees. They bring in money for the organization. So, if they burn out and miss opportunities, it affects both the individual and the company.”

High employee turnover rates, absenteeism, and decreased productivity are common consequences of burnout. For sales teams, which directly influence revenue generation, the impact is even more profound. Companies may face substantial financial losses due to the emotional labor demands placed on their employees.

Creating Healthier Work Environments

Given the mental health risks associated with emotional labor, businesses must take proactive steps to create healthier work environments. The study suggests several measures companies can implement to mitigate these risks:

1. Encourage Authenticity: Employees should feel empowered to be genuine rather than relying solely on emotional performance. When employees are allowed to express their true emotions, job satisfaction improves, reducing stress and burnout.

2. Provide Mental Health Resources: Organizations must ensure that employees have access to mental health support, including counseling services, stress management programs, and helplines.

3. Foster Open Communication: Encouraging employees to openly discuss their challenges with managers and peers can alleviate stress. Dr. Afshar emphasizes, “Communication is key. When employees can talk about their problems, it removes some of the emotional burden.”

4. Realistic Expectations: Companies should set achievable sales targets and ensure employees are not pressured into unrealistic performance levels, reducing the need for emotional labor.

5. Training and Development: Offering training programs that help employees develop emotional intelligence and coping mechanisms can enable them to manage emotional labor more effectively.

6. Flexible Work Policies: Flexible working hours and remote work options can help employees balance professional demands with personal well-being.

By adopting these practices, companies can reduce employee burnout, enhance job satisfaction, and ultimately improve organizational performance.

The Role of Employees: Finding the Right Fit

For employees, finding a role that aligns with personal values and job expectations is crucial. Dr. Afshar advises, “There are two entities at play here: your individual self and your organizational self. The best way forward is when these two identities align. Look for jobs that match your values and the role’s requirements.”

Sales professionals should seek roles where their personal beliefs and organizational expectations align, reducing the emotional labor required to perform their job. Employees must also prioritize their mental health by setting boundaries, seeking support when needed, and avoiding roles that demand excessive emotional labor.

The Customer Factor: Authenticity Matters

Ironically, while companies pressure employees to maintain positivity to enhance customer experience, customers are quick to detect inauthenticity. Forced enthusiasm or insincerity can lead to customer distrust, negating any perceived benefits of a positive sales approach. Companies that emphasize authenticity over superficial positivity are likely to experience more sustainable customer satisfaction and long-term success.

Addressing the Cultural Stigma Around Mental Health

Despite increasing awareness, mental health issues in the workplace remain stigmatized, especially in high-pressure industries like sales. Employees often hesitate to discuss mental health concerns due to fear of judgment or job loss. Companies must work toward normalizing mental health discussions by integrating mental health education into workplace culture.

Creating an environment where employees feel safe to express their mental health struggles without repercussions is essential for early intervention and effective support.

Long-term Strategies for Mental Well-being

Sustainable mental well-being strategies include:

• Regular mental health check-ins by HR departments.
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offering confidential support.
• Mindfulness and stress reduction programs integrated into the work culture.
• Peer support groups to facilitate shared experiences and coping strategies.

The “fake it till you make it” approach may yield short-term success but at the cost of employees’ mental health and well-being. For businesses to thrive, prioritizing employee authenticity, mental health, and sustainable work practices is critical. Creating a supportive environment where employees can express their true selves is not only ethical but also essential for long-term organizational success.