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The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor at Work
Description
In this episode of The Burnout Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of emotional labor — the often invisible work of managing feelings and expressions to meet job demands. They focus on a 2023 study from the Journal of Applied Psychology that tracked 1,200 customer service representatives over two years. The study found that employees who suppressed genuine emotions for more than 50% of their shift had a 60% higher burnout risk over time. Lucas and Luna break down why emotional labor is especially draining for women and people of color, who often face additional expectations around niceness or deference. They discuss practical strategies like 'deep acting' versus 'surface acting,' the importance of recovery rituals, and how managers can reduce emotional demands by normalizing authentic expression at work. The episode also includes a brief moment where the hosts talk about keeping the podcast ad-free and how listener support helps maintain that independence.