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How Do You Handle Stress?: Why It Is Asked & How To Answer [With Sample Answers]

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How do you handle stress? That is a question many interviewees face. Did you struggle to answer it in your last interview? You’re not alone – many job-seekers find it challenging to know what the right answer is to that question.

Knowing how to answer this question is important. Don’t worry, we have all the answers you need.

Why Do Interviewers Ask, “How Do You Handle Stress?”

There’s a reason this interview question is so common. Interviewers want to know how well you can withstand a fast-paced, hectic work environment with tight deadlines.

If the job involves a lot of pressure and stress, they need to know how you will handle it and how that stress will affect your performance before they offer you a position on the team.

The way you answer this question will tell the interviewer a lot about you, including:

  • Whether you have methods that help you deal with stress and remain productive despite it
  • How you manage your work-life balance
  • How you use stress to your advantage

The answer you give will help the interviewer determine whether you’re a good fit for the position. Those who can’t handle stress well might overlook deadlines or seek out shortcuts, sacrificing the quality of their work.

Alternatively, they may turn to unproductive habits, such as drinking alcohol, to reduce stress. In turn, that can lead to problems such as morning hangovers and coming late to work.

What Is the Interviewer Looking For?

Everyone gets stressed – what sets one candidate apart from the others is how they handle it.

There are healthy coping habits and unhealthy coping habits. The most productive employees use stress as a healthy motivator to work more diligently to meet deadlines and get things done.

The interviewer may have had previous employees who were unable to handle the stress and quit their jobs or just couldn’t keep up with the team, and they may be trying to avoid a repeat of that situation.

How To Answer “How Do You Handle Stress?”

Don’t offer cookie cutter answers during your interview. Personalize your answers and use real examples from your past to answer them.

What To Focus on When Answering This Question

Here are some of the main things to focus on when answering the question of how you handle stress:

  • Bring examples of stressful work situations you previously experienced and show that not only did the stress not hamper your productivity but fueled it.
  • Think of ways you handle stress, not just in the workplace but in your everyday life. Give some examples of how you reduce stress.
  • Talk about your work-life balance, showing that while you have a solid work ethic and can always meet deadlines, you know when not to go overboard to avoid burnout.
  • Show that stress contributes to your personal growth and that you’re not afraid of stress but rather embrace it.
  • Demonstrate that you can work together with your teammates in stressful situations.

A main challenge of stressful situations is prioritizing the most important tasks at hand. Stress is often caused by having a large pile of chores or things to do.

When things get overwhelming, that’s when you feel stressed. Learn to prioritize, which will help you get the most important things done.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Here are some things you should avoid when answering this question.

  • Don’t say that you are rarely or never stressed. Your interviewer will probably smell BS. Besides, it might appear that you simply don’t care about your work and responsibilities – that’s why nothing stresses you. You might come across as unreliable.
  • Don’t focus too much on your emotions or how stress affects you. That will make it seem like it’s hard for you to handle the stress and that you don’t have efficient coping mechanisms.
  • Don’t talk too much about the ways you relax. Showing you have a work-life balance is important, but the interviewer probably doesn’t want to hear about how much Netflix you watch. They probably don’t care too much about your yoga sessions either, so just mention them in passing.

Example Questions to Consider

Here are three example answers to the question of how you handle stress. Don’t use these answers word-for-word. Instead, use them as inspiration for your own answers. At the very least, add your own personal twist to them.

Example Answer 1

“When faced with a stressful situation, I take a step back and take a deep breath. Instead of letting the situation overwhelm me, I analyze it carefully and look at the big picture. Which tasks are most important? How can I approach this situation and resolve whatever is stressing me?”

This answer is perfect because it shows that instead of letting the stress get to you, you approach it in a healthy manner. You know stress is temporary, and you understand the importance of prioritization.

With this answer, you show the interviewer that even though the job situation might be stressful and deadlines might be tough to meet, you will always find a way to remain productive and get things done. You will be able to handle any kind of challenging and stressful work environment.

Example Answer #2

“To me, stress is a healthy motivator rather than an obstacle I must overcome. I don’t see stress as something I must fight; instead, I use it to my advantage to get things done.

When faced with stress, I don’t panic. Instead, I embrace it, knowing it will help me work harder towards tight deadlines. I use my stress as fuel; it helps me focus on what’s important.”

This answer is excellent because it shows you have a healthy attitude towards stress. Many candidates are afraid of stressful situations and may try to avoid them. Those are the kinds of employees who may buckle when the stress gets too much.

You, on the other hand, are willing to face it head-on. That’s the kind of attitude many interviewers will be looking for. It also shows that you are willing to leave your comfort zone.

Example Answer #3

“When dealing with stress, I make sure to remember the importance of a work-life balance.

Some methods I use to handle stress include meditation and apps that help me manage my schedule and create to-do lists. Meditation helps me stay calm and focus on the issues at hand. I also find that calming music helps me clear my mind and remain focused and attentive to what I must do. I avoid distractions such as social media to the utmost.”

This answer is great because it shows you can maintain a healthy work-life balance. You aren’t talking too much about how you relax; remember, your interviewer doesn’t want to hear that.

Instead, you focus on specific methodologies you use to reduce stress and how they help you increase productivity. You’re not saying you go out with friends to ensure you have a good time and take your mind off work but rather that you use music and meditation to work better.

Additional Tips for Impressing an Interviewer Asking How Do You Handle Stress?

Here are some additional ways to set yourself apart from other candidates and impress your interviewer, increasing your chances of landing the job.

Focus on Teamwork

You might say something like:

I create a checklist of things to do, including tasks I must complete myself and those that involve the help of teammates. If the latter, I focus on open and clear communication so we are all on the same page and focusing on the same goals. Then, we create an action plan to help us tackle the issues on hand.”

This shows that you have excellent communication skills, another thing that interviewers look for when assessing candidates.

Use the STAR Method

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Here’s how you can apply it to this question:

  • Describe the stressful situation you were in. Which factors were contributing to your stress?
  • Discuss the task you were supposed to work on and your responsibilities in that situation.
  • Talk about the actions you took to tackle your responsibilities and manage your stress.
  • Finally, discuss the results you achieved.

Be Ready for Followup Questions

While other candidates may have prepared for the question of how they handle stress, few will have prepared for follow-up questions.

Some follow-up questions may include asking you to give examples of how stress has helped you, the difference between healthy and unhealthy stress, or how you handle coworkers who stress you out.

Additional Questions To Be Aware Of

Here are some other questions you are likely to face during your interviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions we see from readers regarding the topic of stress. The following will help you learn how to manage your own stress and give you some coping skills you can tout in your interview!

What are 5 ways to manage stress?

Five easy ways to manage stress include:

  1. Practicing meditation and breathing
  2. Listening to classical music
  3. Using herbal teas and getting enough sleep
  4. Exercise by jogging, lifting weights at the gym, or doing yoga
  5. Become better at managing your schedule to allow for more free time

What are easy ways to avoid stress?

Avoiding stress isn’t always possible, but learning how to prioritize can help. Waking up early and finishing projects well before their deadlines can help you avoid stress.

Wrapping Up

There’s no right or wrong answer to being asked how you handle stress. Practice makes perfect when it comes to acing job interviews.

If you’re concerned about freezing up, recite your answers out loud in a mirror to practice them before you take a seat in front of your future employer.

Are you anxious to hear back after your interview? Before you spiral into stress, take a look at these signs an interview went well.

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