You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt burnt out from working. Mental exhaustion can make people feel disconnected from their emotions, minds, and bodies, making them feel less fulfilled. Researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics believe there’s a solution – get married.

Their study found that happy marriages can fight work-related burnout, specifically in men. In a media release study, author Ilya Bulgakov said, “For me, career success can often become a fundamental aspect of their identity and self-esteem. As a result, they may encounter greater pressure in the workplace and experience elevated stress levels while striving to fulfill their duties and meet expectations.”

Bulgakov continued, “In this context, marital satisfaction and feeling supported in one’s private life can become critical factors in preventing burnout among men.” The researchers surveyed 203 employees from different Russian companies. The participants were asked to assess their satisfaction with their relationships and the presence of workplace burnout symptoms. They found a strong correlation among men showing that the more marital satisfaction they expressed, the lower their risk of burnout was.

Further, men who were more successful professionally also tended to be more satisfied with their personal relationships, a connection that didn’t appear among women. For women, the results showed that detachment from clients and colleagues and decreased compassion and empathy significantly impacted burnout.

The team believes these findings result from varying stereotypes and societal expectations imposed on men and women. Often, women find themselves pressured by the emotional support they give others, whether it be colleagues, clients, or patients. Interestingly, the team found that men are most likely to experience emotional fatigue because they are overwhelmed by requests and feel like they can’t handle them all. This could be related to the social expectation that men act as providers and protectors, which comes with the responsibility that can sometimes be stressful to carry.

Bulgakov said, “Individuals suffering from workplace burnout syndrome often struggle to disconnect from their work and therefore remain in a constant state of tension. Consequently, personal relationships serve as a means for them to escape the pressures of the career race, providing a source of satisfaction and support. Interestingly, this association has been observed only in men. This can perhaps be attributed to traditional social roles, where men are frequently assigned greater responsibility for attaining career success, leading to higher work-related pressure.”

Bulgakov concluded, “The phenomenon of professional burnout is multifaceted. Employees’ personal relationships, both within and outside the organization, are important per se but can also be considered significant predictors of work-related burnout. The way individuals construct and engage in both professional and personal relationships, their behavior and self-perception within them, may have implications for their professional self-determination and ultimately contribute to the experience of burnout.”