A major ingredient to taking the pain out of a stressful day at work is a supportive partner at home, a new study has confirmed.

It may not seem like a groundbreaking conclusion but the study, from Florida State University, is the first to quantify the effects that a sympathetic ear can have at home and at work.

groundbreaking: 开创性的

Professor Wayne Hochwarter, author of the study, found that highly stressed employees had a 25 percent higher level of concentration levels if they had a harmonious home life.

They were also 33 percent more likely to have positive relationships with colleagues, and a 20 percent higher level of job satisfaction.

Previous studies have linked work-related stress to a range of mental and physical illnesses, such as depression and obesity.

obesity: 肥大，肥胖

But this study shows how stress can be a vicious circle - adversely affecting the way employees perform at work, which can lead to even more workplace stress.

vicious circle: 恶性循环

Professor Hochwarter said the mental and physical wellbeing of employees were at risk if they came to work still stressed from the day before.

He said: 'When you're still angry or upset from yesterday's stress, your workday will likely go in only one direction - down.'

And there were obvious benefits at home as well. Professor Hochwarter's paper said employees with strong home support were 25 percent less likely to suffer from after-work fatigue.

Having an awareness of a partner's daily work demands - such as deadlines, a lack of adequate resources and bad bosses - could ensure that couples always communicated, and a partner could see when their loved one was underplaying or exaggerating a problem.

underplay: 对……轻描淡写；贬低……的重要性

The ability to bring a partner back to the middle - building them up when they feel down in the dumps, or talking them down when they are overly agitated - also played a crucial role.

down in the dumps: 垂头丧气；心情不好

talk somebody down: 和某人说话；让某人情绪稳定下来

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