Being Stressed At Work Can Be Good
What, am I mad? (rhetorical, don’t answer). Most articles on stress major on the negative impact of stress. I’m proposing we take a different view of it. Being stressed at work can be good for you.
It is true that there is ‘good’ stress and ‘bad’ stress. Actually we all need a bit of stress to get us going at times. Being stressed at work can vary enormously. If we’re stressed because we have a bullying boss that’s definitely bad stress. However, if we’re temporarily stressed because we’re involved in doing something we haven’t done before, and it’s developing our career, that’s probably higher on the ‘good stress’ scale.
You may need that good stress to advance.
What Is ‘Good Stress’?
It will vary according to individuals but usually ‘good stress’ is short term. Think about how your body feels when you’re excited. Maybe you’re about to go on stage, to give a speech at a wedding, to ask someone out on a date? Your heart rate might increase, you might feel jittery, have clammy palms etc. You might have thought about it for weeks in advance. You are definitely stressed. But once you’ve done it you feel OK. Maybe you even feel better than OK.
Some people thrive on more stress than that. My husband (now retired) was a firefighter. I think knowing that when the bells go down (I’m so into Fire Brigade speak) you could be thrust into a life or death situation would be really stressful. But for him, turning up at a social event, where he doesn’t know anyone, and his wife is talking to everyone (!) was much more stressful than running into a burning building. Doing his job constituted a good kind of stress.
In surveys, around 10% of workers, when asked about stress, say it motivates them to work better. I suspect that number might be higher if respondents were asked about good or bad stress.
Identify Your Unique ‘Stressed At Work’ Moments
Try this exercise. Thinking about your current job, what constitutes bad stress for you? Jot down a few. Think about the impact they had on you and what, if anything, you were able to do to counteract it. (You can read some of the latest stats on workplace stress here.)
Now think about what is good stress for you. What opportunities do you have in your current role to experience good stress? You could ask yourself what opportunities you have to grow and develop in your role.
In terms of gender, the research seems to suggest there is not a major difference in how men or women experience stress at work. Men are less likely to admit it, despite plenty of evidence that they suffer ill health etc from stress related conditions. Women, on the other hand, seem more able to say they are stressed (in a bad way) and to talk about it. (Check out Do Men and Women Talk Differently?)
For women, talking with other women releases oxytocin, the ‘feel good’ hormone so this makes complete sense. Men, it seems may see ‘admitting’ to stress as a weakness, which has implications for how they view women at work who are more upfront.
Introducing the idea of good and bad stress might go some way to opening this topic. Do you have enough good stress in your life right now?
RenewYou, My Tried and Tested Career Booster!
RenewYou has helped thousands of women make positive and lasting change in their lives. I deliver it one-to-one as part of a bespoke coaching package for women looking to move into leadership, to progress their career, or who wish to be the absolute best version of themselves.
Posted on September 15th, 2023 by Jane
