Stress is something most people experience, but I do not think many people stop and realize how much it can build up over time. Between school, work, leadership roles, and everyday responsibilities, it is easy to get used to constantly staying busy and not really recognize the impact stress can have until it starts affecting your mindset and performance. Taking these assessments made me realize that I probably carry more stress than I originally thought.
I scored a 360 on the Life Stress Inventory, which falls in the highest category and suggests a high amount of stress exposure over the past year. I also scored a 90/100 on the Type A Personality Survey, placing me in the “Very Type A” category. The results described characteristics such as being ambitious, organized, driven, and achievement-oriented, while also identifying tendencies toward perfectionism and impatience. Analyzing these traits, I could definitely see myself in the results. I tend to take on multiple responsibilities at once and put pressure on myself to perform well in everything I do.
In MGMT 453 our course material explains that stress can sometimes be positive and motivating, but excessive stress can negatively affect health and performance. Stressors such as deadlines and responsibilities can become overwhelming when expectations become unrealistic or workloads become too heavy.
I also saw this happen during my previous job as a hostess at Buffalo Wild Wings. At some shifts, employees were expected to handle too many responsibilities with limited support. Hosts would be seating customers, answering phones, cleaning tables, helping with takeout orders, and handling customer concerns at the same time. There were situations where employees became so overwhelmed and frustrated that they would quit in the middle of their shifts. Looking back at this , I can connect that experience to concepts from class like role overload and burnout because stress can lower performance and increase turnover.
As I move into my professional career, I want to be more intentional about my managing stress by setting realistic expectations, prioritizing responsibilities, maintaining balance, and recognizing when asking for support is necessary.
References
Buckingham, M., & Coffman, C. (2016). First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently.
Berry, L., Mirabito, A., & Baun, W. (2011). What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs? Harvard Business Review.
Jones, K. (2017). The Most Desirable Employee Benefits.
Course Lecture: Job Stress