The following question was submitted by a reader who also gave permission for the question to be answered publicly so that others could benefit from the information.
The Question
I’ve often heard that your biggest weakness can also be your biggest strength. For me, it’s a steady dose of anxiety that doesn’t seem to dissipate. As a salesperson, I’m constantly under pressure to deliver more revenue — and the stress that accompanies that pressure leads to said anxiety. For awhile, I’ve been able to operate well under those circumstances — and I simply assumed that the stress and pressure are motivators for me. Now, however, I’m not so sure. I’m constantly feeling “under the gun” — and I’m beginning to bring the anxiousness home with me. I definitely understand the ebbs and flows that go with sales — but I also feel as though I should have some reprieve from my stress. What can I do to combat these feelings? Can I do something to feel “good” even when I’m having a “down” week or two? I’m beginning to worry about the long-term health effects of living like this — so any insight/advice would be hugely appreciated!
The Answer
There’s a lot going on in this question, so let’s break it down into the component parts:
- The reader feels as though a steady feeling of anxiety is a weakness. The feeling of anxiety is being brought about by constant pressure to meet sales numbers.
- At first, the reader thought that this feeling of anxiety might be a motivator, but has started to rethink that as the stress of meeting the numbers has seeped into his or her home life.
- The reader is seeking a reprieve from the stress, actions he or she can take to lessen the impact, specifically mentioning a concern about long-term health.
It’s important to understand that feeling anxiety and stress is not a weakness, and should not be accepted as being as an inevitable and constant state of being. Rather, these are signs that something is wrong – your body trying to alert you that there is a problem that you need to take care of. And the reader is right – stress can lead to short-term and long-term heath problems.
The issue of psychological stress has been studied since the 1930s when Hans Selye examined it from a medical perspective. Pertinent to this discussion, he found that the body does not distinguish between physical stress (like, say, getting punched in the stomach) and emotional stress. Your body goes through three stages when you are experiencing a stressor:
- Recognition of the stressor – acknowledgement that something is wrong;
- Resistance to the stressor – trying to alter the situation to make it go away;
- Exhaustion – acceptance of the stressor when the body has run out of energy to fight it.
Just as you would start experiencing major physical problems if you were punched in the stomach over and over again for weeks/months/years, if your body stays in the exhaustion stage from psychological stress for too long, you get physically sick.
All this is to say that when you are experiencing ongoing anxiety and stress in your job, this is not a sign of personal weakness or failure. You may very well be motivated by deadlines, but that is not the same thing as the stress that is being described – be careful not to confuse them. This is a sign that there is a problem that you need to proactively deal with.
So, what are your options? Let’s boil them down to two high-level concepts:
- Changing your home/personal environment to compensate for the stress you are feeling at work.
- Changing your working environment to reduce or remove the elements that are causing you stress.
When you change elements of your personal life to compensate for stress at work, you’re essentially trying to mitigate the stress rather than solving the problem. Still, there are many things you can do that might be beneficial. For example, research has shown that individuals who exercise regularly have generally lower levels of anxiety and generally higher levels of job satisfaction. You could also reach out for greater social support from your family, or make it a point to be home for dinner every night and spend quality time with the kids. You may need to do some serious thinking about how you are prioritizing the elements of your life to find a greater amount of balance. This might require making some tough decisions about how you are spending your time, but it’s all for the greater good of your health.
It’s important to note that changing your home/personal environment can only help so much – it may lessen the the amount of stress you feel in the short-term, but long-term you need to deal with the causes of the stress. Some things to consider:
- What are the specific elements of the job causing you stress? Really break it down into the components – is it the cold calls, the rejection, the ever-present number that you need to meet at the end of the month? Understanding the specific elements that are causing you stress can help make the problem seem much less overwhelming. Then, you can deal with the components rather than the meta.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes when people are feeling stress and anxiety at work, it’s because they are focusing on the negative. There are simple exercises that you can do to help you shift your perspective.
- Find a mentor. You’re hardly the first person in the world to experience this problem, so seek out the advice and experience of those who have been around the block. They’ve been there, done it, and can provide you with tips and tricks to help make your work experience better.
- Is this the job for you? Sales is one of those professions that requires a very specific type of person to do well and be successful at. It’s also just one of many different professions out there. Consider what really makes you happy – does that align with your job? If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to start looking at other options.
Related Reading
- Let’s Talk About Stress (Zen Workplace)
- Exercise = Greater Job Satisfaction (Zen Workplace)
- Find Your (Work-Life) Balance (Zen Workplace)
- Shifting Your Perspective (Zen Workplace)
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