Think you're "needy" for having a work wife? Nah, it's quite healthy

There are a couple of things that make the daily grind more bearable, if not enjoyable. Maybe it's free access to a gym. Maybe it's free food. Or maybe it's that colleague you just ~vibe~ with.

Have yourself a work wife? You shouldn't ever feel like you're a needy for that - she after all makes everything better just by lunching with you, and sharing disdain for the same people.

It's healthy to have a close support system at the place you spend almost half your time at and there are plenty of other benefits to having a work wife.

We got Ling Xiang Lee, Sales and Marketing Manager at recruitment consultancy Robert Walters Singapore, to tell us what they are.

1. SHE HELPS YOU SEE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

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"Since she works in the same industry, your work wife can offer valuable advice and guidance to problems you're facing. She understands the daily office dynamics and can be a buffer for the stress on you by being a confidant and pillar of strength. She can also help you see things from a different perspective and you may even find that the environment isn't as toxic as you thought! Besides, misery loves company. It's likely your work wife needs you just as much as you need her."

2. SHE HELPS YOU ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

"Since the both of you are able to understand each other's working styles and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, it's likely that you guys work well together. Try using this to your advantage by working together to produce results that will help grow your careers. The chemistry between the two of you also makes it easy to share ideas, allowing you to be exposed to different approaches and perspectives."

3. SHE LETS YOU BE HONEST

"It's no good bottling up your feelings, and with your work wife you can afford to be vulnerable and open with your feelings and frustrations. When people form stronger relationships, they feel more comfortable around one another and engage in more interaction and positive communication."

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4. SHE HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH

"Your work wife has a positive impact on your physical and mental health. According to Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, a New York Times best-seller drawn gathered information from Gallup studies spanning 150 countries, those who have a best friend at work are more likely to be engaged in the office, relate to customers better, produce higher-quality work, enjoy greater well-being and are less likely to get injured on the job."

5. SHE BOOSTS YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

"Even if you guys don't work as a team, your work wife can empower you to deal with today's complex work challenges more easily. You have a natural ally in all your dealings with other people at work and have someone to bounce ideas off without worrying about how you will be perceived."

This article was first published in CLEO Singapore.