&w=3840&q=100)
Is your office bestie good for your mental health? Here is what doctors say
New Delhi
Have you ever noticed how just one coffee break with your favourite colleague can turn a draining day into a bearable one? Or how even a small venting session helps your mind finally relax? Experts say that it is not just feel-good fluff, it's neuroscience in action. Having a close friend at work (your work BFF) might be doing a lot more for your mental health than you think.
According to Dr Munia Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant, Clinical Psychology, Marengo Asia Hospitals, and Dr Gorav Gupta, Senior Psychiatrist & CEO at Tulasi Healthcare, the presence of a close friend at work offers emotional safety, validation, and immediate support. 'These bonds can ease loneliness, reduce anxiety, and offer an emotional buffer against everyday workplace pressures,' said Dr Bhattacharya. 'They provide a sense of being understood, which is incredibly grounding, especially in high-stress jobs.'
How do workplace friendships affect mental health?
According to Dr Gupta, work friendships are linked to a reduction in cortisol, the hormone that spikes during stress, and an increase in oxytocin, the hormone responsible for social bonding. He explained that this hormonal balance has wide-reaching effects on the body.
'When cortisol remains high due to chronic stress, it can suppress your immune system, disturb sleep, and increase your risk of anxiety and depression,' explained Dr Gupta. 'Oxytocin, on the other hand, calms the nervous system. When you feel emotionally safe with someone, your body responds positively, your heart rate slows, blood pressure stabilises, and your mood lifts.'
Workplace friendships as important as professional mental health support, say experts
The doctors said that while friendships shouldn't replace therapy, they can offer real-time emotional relief that is both accessible and effective.
'A good friend at work is not a therapist, but they can be a great first responder for your emotional needs,' said Dr Bhattacharya. 'They validate your experiences, help you regain perspective, and simply make you feel less alone in navigating the pressures of professional life.'
This sense of connection can boost morale, reduce symptoms of burnout, and help people stay mentally engaged in their roles, she added.
Young professionals benefit more from these bonds
Young professionals often face uncertainty, high performance expectations, and a sense of social disconnection, especially in hybrid or remote setups. In this context, a strong workplace friendship can be life-changing.
'Millennials and Gen Z workers are more open about mental health but also more vulnerable to isolation at work,' said Dr Gupta. 'A friend who checks in, shares a laugh, or just listens without judgment can make all the difference to their daily mental resilience.'
What if you're an introvert?
Not everyone finds it easy to form social bonds. Introverts may prefer fewer but deeper connections. Neurodivergent individuals, such as those with autism or ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), might face challenges in communication, social cues, or navigating group dynamics.
'Workplaces need to be inclusive and sensitive,' Dr Bhattacharya emphasised. 'Social connection is a human need, but it looks different for everyone. An introvert might thrive with one meaningful relationship, while a neurodivergent individual might connect better through structured, shared activities.'
What matters is not the number of friends, but the quality of emotional support they offer.
Are there any downsides to workplace friendships?
As with all relationships, things can sometimes go wrong. Tensions, miscommunications, or competitiveness can create emotional strain, especially when personal and professional boundaries get blurred.
'Friendship fallouts at work can feel devastating,' warned Dr Gupta. 'They can lead to awkwardness, gossip, or even disengagement. It's important to have boundaries, respect space, and prioritise clear communication.'
Still, the benefits far outweigh the risks, especially when the friendships are built on trust, empathy, and mutual respect.
These bonds crucial in high-stress industries, say experts
In fields like healthcare, media, finance, or law enforcement, where burnout is common, the presence of workplace allies becomes vital.
'These professions are emotionally demanding,' said Dr Bhattacharya. 'You're constantly juggling patients, clients, and deadlines. A work friend is someone who gives back to you emotionally, even if it's just a small gesture or a shared moment of humour. The result? More emotional balance, better coping mechanisms, and higher resilience to stress.'
So should you invest in a workplace friendship?
Doctors said, you should. Building a workplace friendship doesn't require being an office extrovert. It can start with a kind message, shared breaks, or simply checking in.
'Genuine friendships at work can act like emotional armour,' said Dr Gupta. 'They help you navigate not just your workload but your emotional load too.'
In today's fast-paced, hyper-connected world, a meaningful work friendship might be one of the most underappreciated yet powerful tools for better mental health.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Sleep apnea keeping you breathless and sleepless? Try blowing a conch shell, says study
When a 42-year-old man came in with snoring so severe that he had to sleep in another room so as not to disturb his wife and woke up in fits and starts, Dr Rajeev Gupta put him through a sleep test. The man was found to be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder where your upper airway repeatedly becomes blocked or narrowed during sleep because of flaccid throat muscles and reduces oxygen flow in the blood. Dr Gupta recommended a sleep aid that forces the airways open but his patient could not just adapt to it. So he put him on a conch shell-blowing routine, twice daily, with a trainer. Within 12 months of this drill, regular walking and a low fat diet, the man's snoring subsided, his daytime sleepiness went down and his throat muscles became stronger. 'I gathered anecdotal evidence through all my patient outcomes and then decided to do a clinical trial on effects of conch shell-blowing on sleep apnea. Already, some studies on usage of wind-blown instruments like saxophone had shown positive results in reducing symptoms like snoring and sleep-disordered breathing. This led to our hypothesis that shankh-blowing might offer similar advantages. Our trial showed promising results; patients felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night after regular blowing of the shankh,' says Dr Gupta, study author and chair, Preventive Cardiology & Medicine, Eternal Heart Care Center & Research Centre, Jaipur. The study by Dr Gupta and his colleagues has just been published in the European Respiratory Journal Open Research. Though small, it is significant because it eliminates the need for bulky breathing devices like the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, which is the gold standard treatment. Conch shell-blowing can even be used as complementary therapy. 'We tested this technique on 30 patients. Now we need to confirm the results through larger, longer-term, multi-centre studies in India and other countries to assess sustained benefits,' adds Dr Gupta. Excerpts: What did the study find? We divided 30 patients into two groups; 14 were trained to blow a conch shell twice daily for a total of 10-15 minutes (with 30 seconds of blowing into the shell and gaps to draw in fresh air) while 16 practised deep breathing exercises. After six months, those in the conch shell group showed a 34 per cent improvement in sleep, better sleep quality, lower daytime sleepiness and better oxygen saturation. The hypoxia index, which is a measure of the severity and duration of oxygen deficiency in the body, decreased by 4.4 events. In terms of overall sleep hygiene, 30 per cent in the conch shell-blowing group showed marked improvement compared to the five per cent improvement in the control group. Why conch shell-blowing is effective As we fall asleep, all our muscles relax naturally, including those in the throat. But in obstructive sleep apnea, the same muscles relax too much, causing the soft tissues in the back of the throat, such as the tongue, palate and tonsils to collapse and narrow or completely close the airway. This disrupts breathing in patients and forces them to wake up intermittently in the night, gasping for fresh air. Conch shell-blowing involves breathing in deeply and exhaling into a spiral-shaped shell. This action creates strong vibrations and airflow resistance, which strengthens both the tongue and throat muscles and prevents them from collapsing easily. This is a far easier drill to follow twice a day than remaining hooked to a CPAP machine, which delivers a continuous stream of pressurised air through a mask worn over the nose or mouth, keeping the airways open during sleep and preventing pauses in breathing. The patient has to maintain the same sleeping posture. How have the results held in patients who were not part of the study? I had first discussed the concept in an article published in the RUHS Journal of Health Sciences in 2018. Privately, I recommended it to patients of sleep apnea who somehow could not take to the CPAP machine. So going by anecdotal evidence, the conch shell-blowing patients have been able to stay up to four years off the CPAP machine. Can conch shell-blowing be a reliable therapy? If the results hold in larger trials, it can. It will be a cheap and at-home option for the billion people who suffer from sleep apnea.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
When food combinations go wrong: DO NOT pair these 'healthy' fruits together
A wellness expert reveals that combining certain fruits in smoothies may hinder the absorption of beneficial flavonoids. Smoothies are the current breakfast obsession for both millennials and Gen Z. It's indeed a nutritious breakfast option, which requires very little time to make. While some people like to throw in their leafy greens, veggies, and fruits together, others opt for yogurt and fruits. Berry smoothies are the rage nowadays, and people often add a banana to them for more sweetness and texture. But guess what? You are not supposed to pair blueberries with a banana! Surprised? Amy Shah, M.D., a double-board-certified doctor and wellness expert trained at Cornell, Harvard, and Columbia, specializes in food allergies, hormones, and gut health, has now explained why mixing blueberries with bananas may not be a good idea. Blueberries and bananas are not the best of friends 'Blueberries are my favorite fruit because they have fiber, they have vitamin C, and they are full of manganese and B6. Honestly, these are one of the biggest sources of flavonoids in our diet, and they are so good for our brain. In fact, they improve the health of your brain in an hour,' Dr. Shah said, in a video shared on Instagram. But if you mix them with a banana, that's where the problem begins. If you make a smoothie like a lot of people do, a banana and blueberry smoothie. The problem is that bananas have an enzyme called PPO, and this actually breaks down the flavonoids. So if you leave them there, there will be a composition of flavonoids,' she explained . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like When Knee Pain Hits, Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away (It's Genius) Read More Undo The nutritionist shared that one can eat them separately, but eating them together is not good if you want the health benefits. So, what can you mix with blueberries? Dr. Shah recommends adding probiotics like yogurt, kefir, or probiotic cottage cheese. 'This makes a powerful intestinal combination. Prebiotics, probiotics. This is something you should be doing,' the nutrition expert said. She also added that you can always buy frozen blueberries if you can't get the fresh ones. 'Frozen ones are just as good, if not better.' Should you be concerned if you mixed blueberries and bananas If you have already consumed a blueberry and banana smoothie before coming across this article, should you be concerned? 'It's not a big deal if you mix blueberries with bananas once in a while. The study is small, and the risk is more theoretical and more if you're only consuming it that way,' Dr. Shah said. The study A 2023 study published in the journal Food and Function found that when banana was combined in s smoothie maded with mixed berries, they had 84% lower levels of flavanols in their body, compared to the control group. Amy Schumer Opens Up About Surfing Injury, Shares Recovery Snapshot 'We were really surprised to see how quickly adding a single banana decreased the level of flavanols in the smoothie and the levels of flavanols absorbed in the body. This highlights how food preparation and combinations can affect the absorption of dietary compounds in foods,' lead author Javier Ottaviani, director of the Core Laboratory of Mars Edge, which is part of Mars, Inc., and an adjunct researcher with the UC Davis Department of Nutrition, said in a statement.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Parenting in the age of social media: Tips to stay connected without controlling
Watch out for this parenting mistake that is driving kids to secret social media lives (Image: Pexels) We are bringing up kids in a world where social media is no longer just a place to scroll for fun. It has become a space where identities are shaped. Our children, especially Gen Z, grow up comparing their faces, homes, friends and milestones to strangers and influencers. Their mood, confidence and sense of self can be swayed by a single post or a count of likes. It is not about guarding them from the world but guiding them through it. Trade control for conversation and fear for friendship because in this digital era, genuine connection will always outshine control. The digital landscape has dramatically shifted how children interact, learn and even form identities. Today's parents are navigating uncharted waters, raising children in an age where screens often speak louder than voices and social validation is only a click away. Here is the thing though, they are not clueless. These kids are quick, curious and tech smart. They seem to learn new apps before we have even downloaded them. They do not need tutorials on swiping and clicking. They need guidance on living well while doing it. The challenge? In a research done by University of Central Florida (UCF), the authors Arup Kumar Ghosh (doctoral student) and Pamela Wisniewski (Assistant Professor), University of Central Florida, found that authoritarian parents using control apps saw higher — not lower — teen exposure to online risks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Urologist: Most Muscle Loss in Older Men Starts With This One Mistake primenutritionsecrets Undo Almost 80% of teen app reviews were negative, citing lack of trust and privacy. The study suggested that empowering teens, not restricting them, fosters better digital safety. You're trying to protect your kids online but are you pushing them away instead? (Image: ET) A recent study by Turkish researchers Mehmet Toran, Taibe Kulaksız and Bülent Özden published in Children and Youth Services Review (2024) focussed on how digital parental awareness i.e. a parent's habits, modelling and understanding of digital risks, can make or break their relationship with their child, especially those between 3–6 years old. Using data from 285 parents of young children, the researchers discovered something powerful: it is not just the time you spend with your child that matters but how you spend it digitally. Science confirms that regular outdoor exposure, unstructured play and time in nature boost emotional balance and reduce anxiety even in teens. Research shows that parent-child connectedness is one of the strongest protective factors against online risk. Children mimic what they observe. If you are glued to your phone, replying to emails at dinner or doomscrolling late into the night, your child absorbs that as normal. So, what works instead? According to the researchers, "Parents who manage their own tech use well and involve their children in discussions around digital media create a more trusting, respectful and connected relationship." In essence, your awareness and behaviour around technology mediate the emotional quality of your relationship as it is not enough to just 'limit screen time.' Children are watching us and they learn more from what we do than what we say. Learn to stay involved in your child's digital world without becoming controlling or disconnected. According to the study Parental Monitoring of Early Adolescent Social Technology Use in the US, published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies (2024) , restrictive monitoring is linked to higher adolescent problematic internet use. In contrast, active and deference monitoring that is rooted in trust and closeness, correlate with healthier family relationships and better online behaviour. The more you monitor, the more they hide: How to actually parent in the digital age (Image: TOI) Traditional parental control is limited hence, a shift is advised toward community-driven models, where trusted members can support teens collectively, promoting autonomy, granular privacy and reciprocal engagement. You are then not controlling the behaviour, you are shaping discernment. According to the research paper, Supportive Parenting and Adolescents' Digital Citizenship Behaviors , published in the journal - Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace , parental autonomy support directly promotes online civic engagement, while structured parenting supports self-regulation. Both contribute to stronger digital citizenship in teens. Want to connect more deeply with your child in a digital-first world? Start with yourself. Put the phone down during play or meals. Co-watch their favourite shows and ask questions. Discuss online risks as a team, not as a punishment. Let them see you unplug, read, cook or just be present. When children feel seen, heard and valued offline, they are less likely to seek excessive validation online. According to studies, the most effective approach to digital parenting is active, supportive engagement — not restrictive control. Tools and strategies that foster dialogue, transparency and autonomy help teens navigate online spaces wisely and confidently.
