Complaining in the workplace: team building or a disguised source of stress?

A sigh at the coffee machine, a group chat exploding after an unpleasant meeting, collective grumbling about yet another reorganization: it feels bonding when colleagues blow off steam together. However, research shows that this shared complaining, known in science as co-rumination, keeps the body in a state of stress longer rather than providing relief.

What co-rumination does to your body

In a study by psychologist Jennifer Byrd-Craven and colleagues, women talked with a friend about a personal problem. The more extensively they dwelled on the problem and the associated negative feeling, the stronger their cortisol rose immediately after the conversation (Byrd-Craven et al., 2008, Hormones and Behavior). A follow-up study confirmed this and also showed an increase in alpha-amylase, a marker of the sympathetic nervous system (Byrd-Craven et al., 2011, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships). Consequently, the body reacts differently than the feeling at that moment suggests: complaining together feels familiar, while physically it actually builds up tension.

Why getting stuck costs so much

The explanation lies in what researchers call the perseverative cognition hypothesis: not the event itself, but persistently thinking and talking about it prolongs the stress response (Brosschot et al., 2006, Journal of Psychosomatic Research). A meta-analysis of sixty studies supports this: worrying is associated with higher blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol, and lower heart rate variability, a measure of how well the body recovers from stress (Ottaviani et al., 2016, Psychological Bulletin). A more recent meta-analysis specifically focused on heart rate variability confirms this same pattern at rest, during stress, and in the subsequent recovery phase (Lim et al., 2026, International Journal of Psychophysiology).

Complaining is not the problem, being locked up is.

This is not a plea to ban complaining. In fact, worrying during social interactions did not always prove to be harmful: with little perceived support it was associated with lower heart rate variability, but with much perceived support it was associated with higher variability (Gerteis et al., 2016, Psychophysiology). It is therefore not talking about problems that is harmful, but the lack of recognition or a next step. That same mechanism plays a role in the relationship between work pressure and burnout symptoms, in which work-related worrying explains part of that relationship (McCarrick et al., 2023, Psychology & Health).

What can you do as HR?

Do you recognize departments or colleagues who complain a lot? Then do not allow them to dwell on it endlessly, but do give them some time to share their feelings. Afterwards, ask what a possible solution is and who can help with it. This aligns with the distinction between emotion-focused and problem-focused coping in classical coping theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984): in this way, the perspective shifts from victim to influence. If the problem lies outside someone's sphere of influence, keep gently repeating that continuing to complain about it does not help. It is like getting frustrated in a traffic jam: no car has ever driven faster because of it, but it does cost a lot of energy.

This article is the result of a conversation lasting several hours between Claude and Sander Gremmen, in which only scientific articles were used as sources. Byrd-Craven, J. et al. (2008). Co-ruminating increases stress hormone levels in women. Hormones and Behavior. Byrd-Craven, J. et al. (2011). Stress reactivity to co-rumination in young women's friendships: Cortisol, alpha-amylase, and negative affect focus. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Brosschot, JF et al. (2006). The perseverative cognition hypothesis: A review of worry, prolonged stress-related physiological activation, and health. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Ottaviani, C. et al. (2016). Physiological concomitants of perseverative cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin. Lim, C., Mueller, E., & O'Brien, WH (2026). Perseverative cognition and vagally mediated heart rate variability in laboratory studies: A series of meta-analyses. International Journal of Psychophysiology. Gerteis, AKS et al. (2016). When rumination counts: Perceived social support and heart rate variability in daily life. Psychophysiology. McCarrick, D. et al. (2023). The role of perseverative cognition in the job strain-health outcome relationship. Psychology & Health. Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company.