How Stressed is HR? Here’s a Handy Evaluation for You and Your Team | 2-minute video

You’re stressed. We’re pretty confident of that.

But how stressed? And could it possibly be “good stress?”

Fortunately, we have evidence that good stress exists and you can actually use it to thrive when you need it.

What Has Us Stressed

Still, HR pros — and most of the people in leadership around you — are overwhelmed and under pressure at work. Almost 80% of us faced stress in the past month. Specifically, here’s how people in the American Psychological Association’s Work in America Survey said it affected them:

• emotional exhaustion (31%)
• didn’t feel motivated to do their very best (26%)
• a desire to keep to themselves (25%)
• a desire to quit (23%)
• lower productivity (20%)
• irritability or anger with coworkers and customers (19%), and
• feelings of being ineffective (18%).

Even though HR professionals know well-being is important, they aren’t always great at leading by example with it.

But here’s the good news. If you know the kind of stress you face or feel, you can rise above and move on to better things.

In this episode of HRMorning’s 3-Point, our expert explains the three types of stress that get to us, plus tips to get through each of them.

Click, watch and listen for more details on the stress HR faces.

Transcript (edited for clarity):

Are you stressed at work?

Probably – and you’re in good company. Almost 80% of workers say they’ve experienced stress at work
in the last month, according to the American Psychological Association.

But to what degree? That’s the important part. Because if we know the kind of stress we have, we can do
a better job of dealing with it.

Fortunately, ADP researchers took an in-depth look at stress in the workplace and broke it down for us.

Leschke-Kahle: The ADP Research Institute identified three buckets or three categories of stress. The first one is Thriving. That’s when we feel like we’re, kind of like, we’re on fire in a good way. That’s when somebody comes to me with a fire drill, as an example, around something that I love to do.

The second one is being Rattled. And again, we all know what that feels like. It’s not horrible, horrible stress, but there’s something happening that’s kind of pushing on us. It’s those outside forces causing us to be uncomfortable and maybe not exactly at our best.

And then the third category is really that Overwhelmed bucket — that time when we just can’t quite feel like we’re ever going to make it out of this situation.”

Now, here’s the thing. Almost all of us will experience each of these stress levels at different times. And what drives us to each level will change. For instance, this week something minor will overwhelm us – and it’s only in the rearview mirror that we see it was minor. The next week, we’ll thrive through something huge.

The key is to identify the stress bucket you’re in so you can get out and dry off. Here’s help from the ADP study:

• If you’re Overwhelmed – and that’s 17% of us some of the time – you’ll likely need to call in the reinforcements. That might be your boss, a colleague or the mental well-being resources your company offers.
• If you’re Rattled – and that’s half of us most of the time – streamline. Try regular audits of workflows so you can simplify by eliminating steps and roadblocks.
• If you’re Thriving – and that’s a third of us much of the time – go with it! No one can maintain that breakneck pace, but in the times you’re thriving under pressure, don’t let up.

In the perfect work world, there’d be no stress. In the real work world, it will never go away. Now you’re better prepared for any type you’re dealt.