How do you handle stress and pressure

Interview Question: «How Do You Handle Stress?»

Answering Interview Questions About Stress and Pressure

Evan Polenghi / The Balance

Are you prepared to answer interview questions about stress? Many jobs are stressful, and it’s important to be prepared to answer questions about on-the-job stress during interviews. One common interview question you may be asked is, “How do you handle stress?”

You’ll need to be prepared to respond appropriately, because the interviewer doesn’t want to hear that you never get stressed. After all, everyone feels stress at one time or another at work.

The employer wants to find out whether you understand how pressure affects you and how you manage it.

As with all interview questions, it’s a good idea to have examples ready to share with the interview.

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

The interviewer really wants to know whether you can handle job-related stress, and what you do in particularly stressful situations at work. This is especially important if you’re interviewing for a position where stress is an integral part of the job. That’s because job stress can have a negative impact on workplace performance.

The hiring manager may also be wondering whether stressful issues outside of work can impact your job performance. Employers look for candidates who can deal with a range of stressful situations, whether these are personal or work-related.

How to Answer “How Do You Handle Stress?”

To answer this question successfully, you’ll want to provide specific examples of how you’ve handled stress well in the past. You might also provide examples of times when pressure actually made you work more productively.

Be careful how you respond. If you say you get stressed when you’re given multiple projects, and you know the job will require you to juggle many assignments at once, you’ll look like you’re not a good fit for the position.

Consider mentioning how a little stress can be a helpful motivator for you. Try to provide an example of a time when the stress of a difficult project helped you be a more creative and productive worker.

Examples of the Best Answers

Review these sample answers of how candidates cope with stress, along with information on why these are strong responses.

Example Answer #1

Pressure is very important to me. Good pressure—such as having many assignments or an upcoming deadline—helps me to stay motivated and productive. Of course, there are times when too much pressure can lead to stress. However, I’m very skilled at balancing multiple projects and meeting deadlines; this ability prevents me from feeling overly stressed. For example, I once had three large projects due in the same week, and that was a lot of pressure. However, because I created a schedule that detailed how I would break down each project into small assignments, I managed to complete all three projects ahead of time and avoided unnecessary stress.

Why It Works: This answer shows that the candidate enjoys working under pressure and thrives in stressful situations.

Example Answer #2

I try to react to situations rather than to stress. That way, I can handle the situation without becoming too stressed. For example, when I deal with an unsatisfied customer, rather than focusing on feeling stressed, I focus on the task at hand. I believe my ability to communicate effectively with customers during these moments helps reduce my own stress. I think it also reduces any stress the customer may feel.

Why It Works: With this response, the candidate shows how they turns stress into action—and into a positive instead of a negative—in order to accomplish their tasks.

Example Answer #3

I actually work better under pressure, and I’ve found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment. As a writer and editor, I thrive under tight deadlines and multiple projects. I find that when I have to work to a deadline, I can produce some of my most creative work. For example, my latest article, for which I won a regional writing award, was assigned to me only days before the due date. I used the pressure of that deadline to harness my creativity and focus.

Why It Works: This response works well because the candidate shows that they enjoys working under pressure and that they can meet deadlines.

Example Answer #4

I’m very sensitive to the nuances of group dynamics. If there’s an unhealthy amount of stress within the team, I can pick up on some of that stress too. So, what I do is to try to proactively listen to the concerns of the people around me, checking in frequently to see whether they, themselves, are under stress. If they are, I think about how I can help them with their workload so the collective stress of the team doesn’t escalate. When the team’s happy, I’m happy.

Why It Works: For someone interviewing for a management role, this answer shows that the candidate is concerned about the stress levels of the team and how they works to provide a solution.

Tips for Giving the Best Answer

Show the employer how you manage stress. That way, the interviewer can build up a clear picture of how well you adapt to stressful situations. For example, describe a time when you were given a difficult task or multiple assignments and how you rose to the occasion.

Focus on success. When you respond, share examples of how you succeeded despite being in a stressful situation, or of how you problem-solved to resolve the issue that caused stress.

When it’s a stressful job. Some jobs are stressful by nature. If you’re applying for a high-stress job, be sure to let the interviewer know that you’re used to working under stress and that it’s part of your normal routine.

What Not to Say

Don’t mention an issue you created. Avoid mentioning a time when you put yourself in a needlessly stressful situation. You don’t want to come across as someone who causes workplace stress.

Don’t say that you were really stressed. You shouldn’t focus too much on how stressed out you felt. While you should certainly admit that stress happens, try to emphasize how you dealt with the stress rather than how much it bothered you.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

Managing Stress During the Interview

Job interviews are stressful for most people. Even if you’ve interviewed a lot, it can still be challenging to stay calm and collected. You’re meeting new people in a new environment, and you’re trying to sell your credentials to someone who might be your next boss.

A big part of handling stress is preparation. Be sure to research the company in advance and practice answering common interview questions. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel in the interview.

You can also reduce stress by avoiding negative thinking (“I won’t get this job”). Instead, visualize having a successful interview (for example, envision having positive interactions with the interviewer). Do this visualization in the hours right before the interview.

Use these relaxation techniques. If you start to feel stressed just before the interview, try taking a deep breath or two to relax. During the interview, feel free to take a breath or a sip of water before answering a question. This will give you some time to compose yourself and prepare your answer.

Watch your body language. Your body language during the interview can also help convey that you’re relaxed. Try to avoid fidgeting too much. Stand up straight and look the interviewer in the eye (but don’t stare). By appearing calm and confident, you are more likely to feel calm and confident.

Being able to effectively handle a stressful job interview will indicate to employers that you’ll also be able to handle workplace stress.

Key Takeaways

Practice Interviewing: Check out these interview questions and answers, and take some time to practice. Maybe even find a friend or colleague who’s willing to act out the part of the interviewer so you can practice out loud.

Have Questions Ready to Ask: Your interviewer will also ask whether you have any questions about the company or about the job, so it’s good to have a few ready.

Try Not to Stress: It’s tough being asked about handling stress when you’re already in a stressful situation.

How do you handle stress and pressure? – Interview Question With Perfect Answere

Job Interview Question – How do you handle stress and pressure?

Purpose of the question:

The job interview question, “How do you handle stress and pressure?” is a typical question which is asked to check how you cope and handle the pressure while working under a project or in typical working day.

Sample question:

Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.How do you handle stress and pressure?

Your Answer should be:

As a strong candidate for the job position, you must answer this question smartly and by adding few examples from your real life. Every company faces tremendous pressure in most of the time. As they come close to deadlines of the project, the intensity level increases.

The best way to handle stress and pressure is to keep calm. But this is a rare virtue and everyone cannot obtain it. The bigger the company is, the more stress and pressure they have to handle.Working under pressure is a special quality and interviewers want to see this trait in an interviewee.

A perfect answer of this question can reveal some of your other qualities as well. So arrange it in a nice way and reply with strong voice. A sample answer could be:“I observed that my best work usually comes out when I am under pressure. When I am close to the deadline or a particular project that is specified to me, I become more serious than a normal routine day. Then I know I have a target ahead where I have to reach at anyhow. I can calculate at which pace I should go to achieve this. Also, I plan to complete any project minimum a couple of days in prior to the deadline. So if suddenly any unforeseen problems arise, I still have the time to check it out and solve. Thus I can only say, I am more efficient and productive when I am stressful. I know as long as I am not reaching my goal, getting rid of stress is not possible.”Under unusual circumstances, such as under pressure and stress, people become more creative and try to find a shorter path to achieve success because of more workload and less time.

This is quite natural and such qualities are found more or less to people who fall under stress occasionally. So, pressure brings out the best of him. You can add this quality in the answer. Beside this, you can add something like you go to the gym, take a deep breath or go for a long drive to remove stress. So when you get back to work, you are fresher and more enthusiastic.

What should be avoided?

Don’t let this one go unanswered. A candidate who goes down under pressure is not likely to get employed for this job position. If you can convince them with a decent answer, you should feel that you are ahead in the race.Key points to remember:Pick some examples in your past life and try to relate it to the job position. The question may be asked either how you handle pressure on a routine working day or while working on a project. If not specified, be generic.

Possibility of this question: 90%.

10 Best Ways to Handle Stress Under Pressure

It’s more than good luck or good genes in how you handle stress. Here’s what to do when your stress meter hits the hot button.

Do you ever feel like you’re hanging on by a thread? Yes, as an entrepreneur you can take a lot at one time, and yet, at some point, well, isn’t enough enough?

When you feel the pressure mount you need to pick one, that’s right, just one of the strategies from the following list so you can practice «safe stress» and find the best solutions to your issues.

1. Just one thing: When pulled in all directions pick one thing and focus on that, and only that.Pick the one you know needs your attention right now. You’ll know. It will stand out in bold letters. Let everything else fade for the moment. No, all the other stuff wont go away. However, most issues can wait. You just have to learn that big lesson about «everything in it’s right time.»

2. Be imperfect: Studies show that when you strive for perfection, you second guess yourself and waste time arguing internally about next steps. Think about mountain climbing. You just need to get to the next place to put your hands and feet, everything else can wait. No thoughts about your form, if your butt is hanging way out, just where to grab and go. Remember,» done is better than perfect.»

3. ‘No’ means ‘yes’: In other words, ‘no’ to outside demands is a ‘yes’ to you.There will always be juicy projects that have the shiny object feel. You may think you will meet the perfect person for the next deal, while what needs to be done sits in the corner. Too many possible dreams will make the one right in front of you fade and die. Know that good ideas are a dime a dozen, it’s execution that makes the difference.

4. Meet Pomodoro: Francesco Cirillo must love tomato sauce. In any case, he developed a time management method that really works. Enter,The Pomorodo Technique. You chunk your work into 25 minute intervals and then take a short time out. You, the Pomodoro clock (looks like a ripe and tasty tomato) and your brain all get in sync. Then you can quickly find the best way to think through the one thing you picked to work on.

5. Make a list: When you feel the tension rise grab a piece of paper (yes, the old fashioned way) and write down at least 5 reasons you are over-stressed. You may be surprised to find by number 3 that the uptick in stress in not coming from what you thought. And writing it, pen on paper, is also a way to release some of your stress.

6. Get physical: If you cant change your worry psychology change your physiology. Get up and get going. You can do push ups, head stands, take a walk, dance, anything you want to get your your body moving, even for a few minutes. Then you’re ready to sit down again and finish the task at hand. Remember, one task at a time is the way to go.

7.Grab a cup: Think water before anything else. Water, the original energy drink (just ask the Olympic athletes), can sharpen your mind. A study from The University of East London indicates that once thirst is relieved, the brain is left to focus on the task at hand. Even if you’re not conscious you are thirsty a good swig will make a difference.

8. Delegate: If you have martyr tenancies and think you need to do it all, guess what, you will end up with physical or emotional issues sooner rather than later. I’m not wishing this on you, its just how the body and mind operate. And, in case you didn’t know, we are programed as humans to be connected and interactive. We are programed to share. Give away some of the easier work and know that someone can get it done and appreciate the opportunity.

9. Take a radical sabbatical: No, not a year, could be an hour or half a day. In that time do the opposite of what needs to be done. Read a magazine, paint a picture of a tree or a dinosaur, get immersed in sports or fashion or whatever, so long as it has nothing to do with your career. Make it a coffee or tea break and sip to sooth yourself. And don’t forget the water.

10.Be authentic: Look, you can’t be positive all the time, and being «fake happy» will cause even more stress. The pressure to be positive all the time is well, stressful. Just say your overwhelmed and you’ll get through frustrating times rather than attempting to sound all sunshine and rainbows. Just tell yourself and others that you are learning new ways of coping when times are tough and that safe stress is the way to go.

How you respond to stress is usually obvious to everyone around you. The way to change is through constant practice of what will help you muddle through until you become a master. These are ways out of distress, the bad and evil stress. Then you can embrace eustress, the good and beneficial stress.

Interview Question: How Do You Handle Stress And Pressure? (17 Tested Examples!)

‘How do you handle stress and pressure?’ Now there’s an interview question that may actually put stress and pressure on! It’s important that an interviewer asks this because they do need to know how you will be able to cope with potentially challenging environments. After all, pretty much every job will have its own flavor of obstacles and pressure.

So knowing that it’s almost certain that you’ll get asked this in your upcoming interview, how should you answer? There are a few different routes you could take. If you remember one thing from this article, know that it’s more about how you explain your answer than just simply answering “I handle it well”.

What is the interviewer really looking for?

When they ask you ‘how do you handle stress and pressure?’ what the interviewer really wants to know is what you would do in potentially stressful work situations and the impact that may have on how you perform in the role. They want to see that you know yourself and that you are prepared for there to be some stressful situations in the future.

How not to answer ‘how do you handle stress and pressure?’

Here are the big no-no’s when it comes to answering ‘how do you handle stress and pressure?’

Interview Question: How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure? (17 Examples!)

Below are 17 examples of different ways that you can answer this interview question. Choose which one seems most suited to your particular experience, personality, and the role that you’re applying for.

Example 1: “Prioritizing my responsibilities and tasks is how I best deal with stress, as I know it could easily get out of hand if I didn’t have a clear plan of action, Knowing what is most important and then working from there helps me to take it one step at a time and stay calm even if the situation is challenging.”

Example 2: “Communication is one of the best ways that I know to manage a stressful and high-pressure environment, as I find that most stress that people feel is due to confusion and not feeling clear about what to do.

Talking things through and being in constant communication about what needs to be done and asking people what they need to get their job done is a way that I’ve previously handled stressful situations in a leadership role, keeping the whole team more calm.”

Example 3: “Actually, when I have the pressure of a deadline, I find that my work is more efficient and even more creative. So I enjoy this kind of pressure, and I don’t generally feel that what might be a stressful situation actually creates any stress within me.”

Example 4: “Personally I manage stress by working out and meditating. I find that if I spend time outside of the work environment focusing on my awareness and creating a calm internal state, I am far more grounded during the day no matter what happens.”

Example 5: “Being in a dynamic environment that is fast-paced and under deadlines is where I get my best work done, as I feel more inspired by the high energy that is needed for this kind of work.”

Example 6: “One of the most effective ways that I’ve found to deal with a stressful situation at work is to take a step back and see the situation from a more objective viewpoint. It’s far easier for me to then see what needs to be done and stay out of the energy of stress, keeping calm and clear to move onto the next step.”

Example 7: “In my past responsibilities, I couldn’t let stress affect my work, as I had a role that required level-headed energy. I’ve learned that being highly organized is the key to dealing with stress.

I rely on setting a structured schedule and having contingency plans when that isn’t going to work. So I have backup schedules and plans and that keeps me prepared for when things unexpectedly change.”

Example 8: “I believe that the key to managing stress and pressure in work is actually working as a team with others. Whether it’s my co-workers, supervisors, or managers, I know that if we all band together to see what can be done, we come to a solution far more quickly and easier.

So, I really see communication between key people in a company to be the best way to handle stressful situations. Having trust in the team is how I stay calm and collected.”

Example 9: “Although I do enjoy some stress in any role to keep me motivated with the challenge, I know that there needs to be a balance of healthy stress, and not too much pressure leading to chaos.

I think the best way that I’ve found to keep balanced in the face of impending over-stress from a difficult situation is to look at the facts and to keep an objective, impartial point of view, rather than getting pulled into my personal opinion. When I look at the situation from the outside, I can see far more clearly what needs to be done without getting stressed.”

Example 10: “Having the right tools on hand is the best way that I’ve found to stay grounded even if a situation has some pressure and potential for stress. I rarely feel stressed because I use tools like scheduling calendars, daily task lists, and communication software to always be informed of what’s happening. I also have planning procedures to always have a backup plan if unexpected things happen.”

Example 11: “I’ve actually felt that some of my best work has come from feeling a little pressure. So I don’t feel that it’s a problem for me to have a little stress and pressure in a role, it doesn’t make me feel chaotic or confused, but actually keeps me feeling clear and inspired.”

Example 12: “An example of how I dealt with a stressful situation was when I noticed that my co-worker was having a hard time with all the tasks she needed to get done that day, and it made her frazzled and I could see she was struggling but didn’t want to ask for help.

Instead of watching that and feeling her stress, which would put more stress on me and everyone else, I knew that we had to come together and help each other. So I asked the team what they could do to help take some load off for her and take some of her tasks on. Basically, being attentive to the environment helps me to manage stressful situations.”

Example 13: “Planning is the best tool I can think of to diffuse stress. As long as there is more than one plan to get something done – so always having a backup plan or two – I feel like I never get stressed or overwhelmed. There is always a way to make it work.”

Example 14: “I find that listening to my co-workers and customers/clients is actually the best way to deal with their stress and my own. In this way, I’m not being overwhelmed with confusion and expectations not being met. Instead, I’m present to what’s happening and I can best solve what needs to be solved in a way that is responding to that I’m listening to, rather than reacting to stress.”

Example 15: “Having a deadline is one of the best ways that I create effective and high-quality work, so I absolutely love an environment that has some pressure. I know how I work best, and I know how to deal with challenges when they come up, so I don’t get affected by stress even in a high-pressure environment.”

Example 16: “I really feel that when we can react to the situation, not the energy of stress, we will never have a problem in environments that have a lot of pressure. Because we can stay more clear and see the bigger picture, rather than get overwhelmed with the energy. So I always think about that – situations, not stress.”

Example 17: “I’m really skilled at handling multiple tasks and projects and love working in this kind of dynamic environment. I just feel like it is a part of my personality to be able to balance what some people may see as a stressful way of working, and feel motivated by multitasking.”

To learn more, check out my other post on how to answer “describe a stressful situation and how you handled it” to better prepare yourself.

Best Answers for “How Do You Handle Stress and Pressure” Interview Question

Workplace Stress and pressure are inevitable. Every employee at some point of time gets stressed due to work pressure. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. What matters is that how an employee handles it. Effective handling of stress means high emotional intelligence and maturity on the employee’s part. However, ineffective handling of stress and pressure leads to lowered productivity of the employee and hence affects the organisation.

Almost every interviewee is faced with the question “how do you handle stress and pressure”. To look impressive, the interviewee sometimes answers with phrases like:

This is not what the interviewer is looking for and happens to be one of the biggest and most common mistakes that the candidates make while answering this question. Answers like these make the interviewer suspicious and make him/her feel that the candidate is blurting out rehearsed answers.

The sole reason why the interviewer asks this question is to know about the capability of the candidate. The interviewer also wants to know the past experiences of the candidate where he was exposed to stressful situations and how he dealt with them. The best way to answer this question in interviews is to firstly acknowledge that the candidate does face enough pressure and gets stressed under gruelling situations. Secondly, the candidate must state past experiences where he/she got stressed, and the steps are taken to overcome it.

Tips to Answer

A proper answer to “how do you handle stress and pressure” should be well-articulated. In addition to that, it also has to be authentic and genuine. Employers do not wish to hire someone who crumbles under workplace pressure. If a candidate, under a gruelling situation has a nervous breakdown, nobody in the organisation wants to be responsible for it.

Also, an employee unable to handle stress is most likely to evade responsibilities and pass them on to someone else. Unable to handle stressful and pressurising situations also means a lack of problem-solving skills and unsteady decision-making procedure. No employer wants these traits in someone who is being hired. Hence answering this question correctly is a very crucial part of an interview. The following listed are several tips that should be considered while answering:

1. Provide an Example

Talking in generic terms always evokes a lesser impact than talking specifically. Hence the candidate should give a real experience where he/she faced with a stressful or gruelling situation. The example should be concise but clear. It should summarise the situation and how it caused stressed to the candidate and what degree.

2. Explain How You Overcame It

The candidate should tell the interviewer how he had overcome the said stressful situation mentioned in the interview. The candidate has to make sure that he/she does not give this impression to the interviewer that his/her stress-coping mechanisms are unhealthy. For example, if the candidate answers that he had handled the stress by crying profusely for two hours or completely avoiding the situation, it would not make a good impression.

The candidate has to answer how he used the stress the work better. He/she can say that he/she had used the stress as a motivator to increase the pace and productivity of his/her work. It can also be said that he/she took a very little time off work to neutralise his stress and got back to work with a fresh mind. Saying that the candidate meditated for a while or tried balancing the work can also be a perfect option.

3. Stress as a Motivator

Telling the interviewer how the candidate uses stress as a motivator is by far one of the best ways to answer this question. The candidate should articulate the reason for stress and how he/she used it as a positive gateway to amplify his work performance. The candidate should mention examples like the stress of tough deadlines motivating him/her to work better and faster.

4. Skills Learned Due to Stress

Employers generally look for employees who not only handle stress effectively but also use that to learn something that might benefit them in the future and evade the possibility of further stress. Skills learned due to stress are soft skills that employers look for in potential employees. These skills can be organising work, time-management, prioritising, etc.

5. Results

The answer should engage a result or ultimate goal that the candidate was able to achieve due to the effective handling of the stress. For example, he/she can state how the artwork was completed before the client needed or the reports were submitted to the supervisor before time.

Sample Answers

Every candidate is most likely to have a different experience, different stories and other answers to give in the interviews. However below listed are the best sample answers that can be said as a response to the question “how do you handle stress and pressure” in an interview.

Answer 1: According to me, stress is a positive motivator. It teaches us a lot of skills that we cannot otherwise learn in normal situations. I try to learn something from every stressful situation. One time, I had to submit three reports in one week, and it was very stressful. However, I submitted all of them on time. This is because I balanced my workload and learnt how to effectively prioritise my workload to make the best of the current situation.

Answer 2: Stress often improves the quality of my work as it acts as a motivator for me. Since I am a content writer, I can vouch for this. I generally have to work under strict deadlines to meet with the client’s demands. However, I have noticed I deliver the best content, especially when I am working under stress.

Answer 3: As a comic artist workplace is mainly lined by stress to meet the demands and make submissions on time. Whenever I am stressed, I use that as a motivator so that I can finish my job at the earliest. Hence under stress, I have produced some of my best comics.

Answer 4: I handle stress by reminding myself of the goal or the result that I am working towards. That gives me the drive or the motivation to push through the stress and reach my goal. Once in my earlier organisation, I had to get a massive target of sales within a week. Hence I reminded myself of the ultimate target and kept working until I reached it.

Answer 5: Being in customer service can be a stressful job. Hence under stress, I make it a point to focus my reaction on the situations and not on the stress that I am feeling. For example, if I am handling a rude customer, I try to focus on the situation, which motivates me to effectively apply my communication skills to resolve the situation.

Answer 6: Being in management has taught me that a stressed team causes a great deal of stress. So in those situations, I try to communicate well with my team members to get a clear idea of what is stressing them. On doing that, we can improve the group dynamics by sharing our duties and hence reducing the pressure. This collectively reduces the entire stress of the group, and thus I cope with my stress too.

Answer 7: I handle stress by being too calculative. In my last organisation, I was assigned a task in the last minute due to a contingency, and I had to handle it on my own. The time was very less, and it was an important assignment. I chalked out the requirements of the assignment, listed what I had to do, calculated my available time, divided it into various tasks, and that led to the completion of the assignment on time.

Answer 8: In this extremely competitive workplace scenario, stress is inevitable. To deal with it, I make sure I exercise and meditate regularly. IT keeps my mind active. Meditation keeps me focussed and thus helps me work through any stressful situation.

Stress can never be evaded. Good and bad stress is a part of every workplace. Employers want to hire someone who experiences both but finds a way out of it to deliver his job nonetheless. These answers shall give the interviewer the idea that they are talking to the right candidate, and no amount of stress would be daunting enough to cripple his/her spirits.