A day at the office can feel like an emotional rollercoaster.
And now scientists have confirmed that your entire career has its ups and downs.
A study led by the University of Bath shows that high-performance professionals go through four different emotional phases during their careers.
From a recruit excited about new possibilities to a jaded old hand disillusioned with the system, we could all see ourselves in one of these steps.
So, where are you in your career? Read on to find out.
A day at the office can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. And now scientists have confirmed that your entire career has its ups and downs (stock image)
In the study, the researchers interviewed fifty lawyers at different stages of their careers.
At law firms, the researchers found that progression to the top position of partner became the organizing principle of their entire working lives.
Lead author Dr Stefanie Gustafsson says the intense demands placed on lawyers to progress create a powerful emotional attachment to the work.
“The careers of professionals are steeped in emotion – some of the lawyers we interviewed used terms like 'love' when talking about partnership and were very proud when they were promoted,” said Dr Gustafsson.
Although the original study focused on lawyers, Dr. Gustaffson believes the lessons can apply equally to all top professions.
“Such employees go through a rollercoaster of challenging emotions, both positive and negative,” she added.
1. 'Wearing rose-colored glasses'
Early in their careers, researchers found that participants' emotions consisted mainly of excitement and anticipation.
The partners in the firm acted as mentors to the younger recruits and provided them with plenty of positive encouragement.
One partner told the researchers, “I think it's really important that we take care of our star people, and part of that is making sure they know they are star people.”
The goal of becoming a partner is identified as critical from the start, and new recruits are taught to value hard work, dedication and sacrifice.
The researchers also note that at this stage people begin to 'write out' their family or social lives to prioritize work.
They even noted that coworkers and supervisors provided the emotional support “usually provided by spouses and family members.”
In the TV show Suits, a young Mike Ross begins his career 'with rose-colored glasses', a period dominated by emotions of excitement and anticipation
2. 'Being in tension'
Because we previously felt valued and excited, the next phase of our career is one of fear and anxiety.
At this stage, the researchers found that people's emotions become overwhelmingly negative.
As the competition for promotion intensifies, partners who were once mentors and role models now become gatekeepers that hinder promotion.
Researchers found that because attorneys are selected for partnership through a vote among existing partners, the resulting approval process was grueling and stressful.
Rounds upon rounds of selection processes exacerbated the stress of having to constantly be on the best behavior around senior colleagues.
A lawyer told investigators: 'You felt like you were on edge all the time because you were going through different phases and you felt like you had to be on your best behavior.
'I had the feeling that I could not relax properly for a long period of that year.'
If the selection process was a failure, some survey respondents even reported feeling ashamed and feeling the need to leave the company completely.
After the initial excitement, the second phase is one of anxiety and fear as the battle for promotions intensifies (stock image)
3. 'Winning the wonderful prize'
Sometimes, though, all that stress and hard work pays off and we can reach the third stage of our emotional career.
Now that we have finally won the big promotion, our emotions are dominated by feelings of pride and joy.
A feeling of 'having finally made it'. After all, the fear of the previous phase causes a very strong emotional reaction.
The researchers found that at this stage the lawyers' emotional bond with the company deepened deeply.
The lawyers in the survey expressed a personal connection to the firm they work for, with one saying: 'I love, I really love the partnership'.
At this stage we feel more connected to the senior members of the team, finally seeing them as colleagues rather than gatekeepers.
Yet it is also at this stage that the lawyers allow family and friends back into their lives, having excluded them in the years leading up to the partnership role.
After the intense stress of phase two comes phase three as we reach the 'glitter prize' of the big promotion we've been working towards (stock image)
Becoming a partner, like Harvey Specter in Suits, is the pinnacle of a lawyer's career and comes with intense feelings of joy, pride and belonging
4. 'Everything stays the same'
However, all the positive emotions of the third stage cannot last forever.
The researchers soon discovered that our feelings of joy were replaced by disillusionment and disappointment.
After working so hard to reach the top position, many of the lawyers who spoke to the researchers said they changed little after their promotion.
“It's like wading through molasses to get to the promised land and discovering that in the promised land there's only more molasses,” said one partner.
“I expected a huge change, but once you get there it's a lot and I get more money, but nothing has changed.”
Finally, the lawyers turned around and focused on their own teams of junior lawyers, becoming mentors for the next generation and starting the cycle again.
Dr. Gustafsson says these findings should be used to help support the emotional needs of people working in high-pressure occupations.
She concluded: 'HR and line managers need to think and understand, especially to develop coping skills and provide support in cultures where success is celebrated but failure is often stigmatized.'
Ultimately, those who work in very demanding jobs often feel disillusioned after achieving their goals as work life remains largely the same (stock image)