Monday, April 29, 2024

CNBC Make It Work helps you get ahead in your career.
By Ashton Jackson

How ‘resilient, successful’ people cope with work stress and avoid burnout

If there’s one thing that’s always top of mind at work, it’s stress. It can seem like there’s not enough time in the day to complete all of my tasks, and I sometimes find myself feeling a bit burned out.

I’ve been treating this stress like something I need to get away from for most of my career but embracing it may be the key to being happier at work, says Kandi Wiens, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s master’s in medical education program.

According to Wiens, the “most underrated” skill successful people use to stave off burnout is shifting their stress response from “fight-or-flight” to “challenge.” Wiens discovered this correlation by studying people thriving in high-stress environments, including business executives and police chiefs.

“When we’re faced with a stressor out of our control, we create stories in our head to address the unknown, which can lead to self-criticism,” Wiens explains. “But resilient, successful people challenge their assumptions, they’re able to interrupt the negative thinking loop and ask themselves: ‘What is true here, and what assumptions am I making about the situation?’”

To build this kind of challenge response, Wiens recommends asking yourself the following questions next time you’re stressed at work:

• What are my strengths in this situation?
• What resources do I have?
• How have I handled similar stressors in the past?

“Seeing stressful situations as a challenge, not a threat, can help you think through [them] with a clear mind and problem solve better, as opposed to fretting about bad outcomes that haven’t happened yet,” she says.

One of the things I often stress about is getting all my work done while still having time to volunteer and cultivate relationships at work. But with Wiens’ checklist in mind, I know that I have several resources available to help me better schedule and manage my time.

Going forward, I’ll challenge myself to be a better planner and to give myself grace when I can’t get everything done.

Use these 5 phrases every day to stand out and succeed at work

Gorick Ng, a career advisor at Harvard University, has trained thousands of early career professionals at some of the world’s most admired companies and heard senior leaders whisper about who they’re promoting (or not).

The sooner you make using these 5 phrases a daily habit, the sooner you’ll be speaking like a future leader, Ng said:

1. What are your top priorities?
2. Would it be helpful if I _______?
3. Mind if I join?
4. How does _______ work?
5. Am I on the right track?

These phrases show that you’re competent enough to be trusted at work, committed enough for leadership to invest in you and compatible enough to be a team player, Ng said.

"What you say and how you say it can determine how people at work perceive you and where you end up," he added, so try to use phrases like this often.

My side hustle now brings in $25K/month — here's how I did it

Liz Chick started making and selling art to get a reprieve from her "windowless office" job. Now, she runs an art studio in Brooklyn and brings in $25,000 per month in revenue. Chick pays herself $5,500 each month.

Want to land your dream job in 2024?

Take CNBC’s new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay.

Learn More and Register Here

How to be the kind of good boss people actually like

One common type of good boss really sticks out from the rest, says workplace culture expert Tom Gimbel: the people person.

Traditionally, good bosses have skills in areas like time management, constructive criticism and simply being able to help co-workers through day-to-day tasks.

A boss who's a “people person” additionally uses soft skills like communication, empathy and compassion to strengthen their rapport with their employees and foster a workplace culture that people actually want to be a part of, says Gimbel, the CEO of Chicago-based employment agency LaSalle Network.

There are 3 ways that you can build this soft skill, experts say:

1. Be funny. Some people use humor to connect with others. The key at work, says Gimbel: Don’t force it. You could add a note of levity at work by telling a relatable story or making a lighthearted joke. Just make sure you’re being authentic.

2. Show up, even when you aren’t required to. Set up coffee chats with colleagues or offer them help with assignments. Professionals who make themselves visible in this way “really show what they’re made of,” workplace expert Bonnie Low-Kramen says.

3. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Ask your co-workers open-ended questions and really pay attention to their answers. Your colleagues will find you more reliable and relatable when you’re kind and empathetic to them.

“The more authentic you are, the more people are going to connect with you and enjoy your company,” Gimbel adds.