Bernard, for example, often finds that colleagues or patients mirror her emotional state, so coming across as caring — even when she doesn’t feel particularly empathetic — not only makes her work interactions more pleasant, it raises the likelihood of a good medical outcome as her patients are more open to advice.

“You almost have to deliberately force yourself to act, and when you do …you’ll get better results,” she says. “Maybe you don’t want to call it ‘faking’. I advocate acting.”

But if you’re worried that feigning compassion will make you seem like a phony, how can you ensure come across as genuine? For one, Bernard uses body language. To create a connection, she uses the active listening technique – she leans in when the patient is speaking, lowers herself into a seat so she sees them eye-to-eye, and repeats their statements in her own words to ensure they know they’ve been heard and understood.

Although it takes more energy on stressful days, she says the trade-off is worth it.

Acting positive

Research shows that acting out positive feelings can make you happier. A 2014 study from Washington State University in the US showed that college students across five countries who acted like happy extroverts felt genuinely happier at the end of the experiment.

But what if you don’t really like your colleagues or don’t believe in the issue in question? Are there any drawbacks to acting like you care? Well, it depends on if you feel you’re trying to do the right thing or simply acting manipulative.