“Research has shown that a 'toxic' co-worker - someone who is always negative, gossips about others or has a poor attitude - can actually be damaging to a workplace,” she said. One place where this is easily seen is in the workplace. When comparing the effects of a positive relationship to a negative one, the de-energizing connection (or negative) has an impact that is four to seven times greater than a positive or energizing relationship. In the case of negative emotions, Mirgain explains that they can actually have a greater impact than positive ones. In both cases, a complete stranger’s attitudes influenced your own and you might in turn pass that attitude along to others - either through your good mood or your irritation. In one case, the clerk’s happiness creates a positive connection between you, while the other experience might leave you feeling frustrated or even angry. Think about how your own mood can be impacted by a sales clerk who smiles, is helpful and kind as opposed to one who is rude and unhelpful. She points to research done over a period of time that found the happiness of an individual extends up to three degrees of separation (that is, our level of happiness impacts the happiness levels of the friends of our friends’ friends.) Similarly if you have a friend, relative or neighbor who lives within a mile and becomes happy, this increases the probability that you will be happy by 25 percent.

“In some ways, our emotional states are like a virus - we can spread the positive and negative experience to those around us, even with strangers.” “How an individual feels can ripple through his or her social groups and actually influence how the group feels in general,” she said.

Like when a pebble is dropped into the water causing ripples, our words, actions and feelings affect those around us, who in turn affect individuals who come into contact with them, and so on. Mirgain uses the description of a ripple effect. “Happiness isn’t just a personal experience, it is actually affected by the individuals around you,” said UW Health psychologist Shilagh Mirgain, PhD.

I have that effect on people