LoveGeist 2010: What Is The Relationship Between Love And Work?

• Are daters working harder than ever before at love?

• What emotional investment are they prepared to make into their love lives?

• What impact does a happy relationship have on careers and working life?

• And what impact has the recession had on all of this?

LoveGeist 2010 researchers sought the answers to these questions and others, in their quest to determine the relationship between love and work for modern daters in the UK.

Love, they found, is a priority for many. 46% stated that they believe that having a successful relationship is more important than their career, a figure that showed an interesting split between men and women. 52% of men reported prioritizing their love life over their career, compared to only 42% of women. Perhaps, the Report theorizes, this is an indication that the recession has taken a greater toll on men than on women, causing them to seek the comfort of a loving and stable relationship to relieve the pressures of the difficult financial situation.

The majority of UK singles (59%) also appear to understand the importance of striking a balance between work and personal life, though women (63%) seem to be more likely to attempt to do so than men (55%). More than half of the sample, however, felt that they are unable to dedicate enough time to finding and maintaining a relationship, a problem that plagued men in their 40s more than any other age group. These findings reflect a wider social trend studied by the Future Foundation known as Work Life Tension. Though we have more free time these days, "consumers across all ages and social groups still say they feel the pressure of finding time for their personal lives," a predicament that's caused by the "high levels of time pressure," "long hours working culture," and "increased stress."

How might this be affecting you?

Experts have found that personal happiness and professional productivity are directly correlated. In simple terms: when you're happy and are able to find and nurture loving relationships, you will be happier and more successful in all areas of your life. LoveGeist data supports this theory: 61% of respondents said that they perform better at work when they are content with their love lives, a number that jumped to 71% for the 18-24 age group.

This produces a positive circle of events: people who are happy with their jobs, and encouraged by their bosses to dedicate time to happiness in their personal lives, are likely to be happier overall. They are also therefore likely to be optimistic and enjoyable to be around, which will increase their success in their dating lives. If they are in happy relationships, they will be more effective and focused at work, which starts the cycle all over again.

Naturally, then, the opposite can also be true: those who are unhappy with their professional lives are less likely to be in happy relationships, a problem that is exacerbated by the current economic downturn. In the words of Chantal Gautier, a psychologist focusing on workplace psychology: "A job loss could lead to feelings of low self worth, low self esteem, loss.... And...if they are in a relationship, such feelings could be projected in their outlook towards their relationship, in some instances in a negative way."

Moral of the story: it's vital to develop an understanding of how to maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional lives. As work continues to become more and more important to 21st century life, do not be afraid to prioritize the search for love.

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