New research from the University of Notre Dame reveals the impact of recalling dreams on individuals' work behavior and emotions.
The study, titled "A Spillover Model of Dreams and Work Behavior: How Dream Meaning Ascription Promotes Awe and Employee Resilience," shows that when people connect their dreams to their waking lives, it can alter their thoughts, feelings, and actions at work.
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An unusual research
Lead authors explored how these connections could lead to feelings of awe and enhance employee resilience and productivity.
The study is based on approximately 5,000 morning-of reports of dream recall from full-time employees.
The researchers found that people who connected their dreams to their waking lives experienced a sense of awe, which in turn helped them view work stressors as less daunting.
This phenomenon enhanced resilience and productivity throughout the workday.
The concept of awe is related to experiencing something vast that challenges one's understanding or perspective.
Dreams, being conceptually vast experiences, can evoke feelings of awe and contribute to positive emotions.
Why this information is useful
The researchers recommend several strategies to harness the benefits of dream-related awe in the workplace.
First, individuals should prioritize getting sufficient, high-quality sleep, as the most vivid and meaningful dreams occur during REM sleep.
Keeping a dream journal can help capture and make meaningful dreams stick with the dreamer.
The study suggests that dreams can have a significant influence on individuals' mindset and emotional state at work, offering opportunities for organizations to harness the positive impact of awe in improving employee well-being and performance.
