Scientists have said that flirting with colleagues reduces stress

However, this method of dealing with stress can be quite risky. Firstly, employers do not encourage such relationships, and secondly, their participants can be accused of sexual harassment.

There is a fine line between casual flirting with colleagues and harassment, especially in Western countries where such accusations are extremely common. And now researchers from the State University of Washington have suggested that the first phenomenon brings a tangible benefit to a person. They called it a "positive experience of social sexual behavior" that can help reduce stress levels.

As reported in the scientific journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, it is necessary to separate relatively harmless contacts with colleagues, and a persistent unwanted desire for sexual dominance or the manifestation of one's unhealthy desires, which can be interpreted as sexual harassment. In the second case, it does not bring any benefit to mental health, but it creates anxiety and very tense relationships. To harmless flirting, scientists from the United States, together with colleagues from Canada and the Netherlands, include all kinds of stories, jokes and specific behavior that may contain compliments to a colleague about the appearance.

The researchers analyzed various research papers examining the response to flirting of people from North America and the Philippines, conducted before and after the massive #MeToo campaign against sexual harassment in the workplace. It turned out that the majority of employees are quite neutral about stories with sexual undertones, but have a positive attitude towards flirting. And for some people, this flirtation raised their mood so much that it even helped them fight insomnia.