Stressed at work? You’re not alone. Here’s how knowing your MBTI type can help.
Let’s start with the big picture. In the US, companies report nearly $300 billion in annual costs due to stress-related health care and missed work. In addition, 70% of people regularly experience physical symptoms of stress. And 48% of people feel their stress has increased in the past five years.
In the UK and Europe, 70% of people find their work stressful and one in four people risk health problems due to stress at work.
So, what causes everyone stress at work?
In our research, the top stressors at work include:
- Public speaking
- Making big decisions
- Meeting new people
- Traveling on public transport
- Socializing
But it’s different for everyone. And all stress is not the same.
Stress is unique to MBTI® type and to you personally
A little stress everyday (even at work) helps us build resilience. Kind of like catching a mild cold helps us build immunity in the future. Little bits of everyday stress can actually drive you to peak performance. Why? Because the stimulation causes you to be more alert and put more effort forward because there’s something (fear of failure, fear of judgement, time pressure) that has a potential negative consequence.
However, if you look at the curve above, there’s only so much stress people can take before their performance starts to decline. Once you’ve moved past everyday stress, you move closer towards the realm of extreme stress. On the most extreme end, things like financial bankruptcy or death of a family member would be examples.
The self-awareness stress buster
They key to handling stress is (drumroll…) self-awareness! Because stress is personal. There are some things that seem to work for most people (browsing the web, watching TV, listening to music) and there are some things that work for a majority of one personality type.
But everyone is unique, so it’s important to take information about stress from these sources and then tweak them for you personally.
While many workplaces haven’t figured out the best way to cater to their employees’ well-being, research shows that employee well-being is positively correlated with things that improve organizational performance. For example, an employee’s job satisfaction and affective commitment are positively related to workplace well-being, so when they are high the organization itself actually performs better.
Similarly, things that negatively correlate to workplace well-being lead to worse workplace performance. Factors like turnover intention (are you thinking of leaving your job?) and job searching indicate lower workplace well-being.
But, as we mentioned, the measures that increase our well-being at work (and ultimately decrease our stress) are different for every MBTI type.
MBTI® personality type tips to help well-being and mitigate stress
Our ongoing global research into well-being found what every MBTI type can do to increase their well-being and reduce stress, both in general and at work. Go to the end of this post to find out more and see the results for your MBTI type.
As our research teams dove further into these activities, they found that how people engage in the same well-being activity differs depending upon their personality type. Let’s use ‘eating meals with other people’ as an example.
Several extraverted and introverted types reported eating meals with others as effective for improving well-being. However, the qualitative analysis found extraverted types enjoy eating with a wide range of family and friends, whereas introverted types preferred to share meals with family and close friends.
Basically, a person’s personality type shapes whether they benefit from, and how they engage with, activities to better their well-being and reduce stress.
To create your own personal stress resilience plan, check out our Facebook Live from a few months ago to get the three things you need to make your true-to-you stress management plan.
Also, check out this blog post for the signs of stress for different MBTI types.
And if you want to learn more about stress, why not take the MBTI assessment at MBTIonline.com? You’ll then have access to a learning course all about stress and how it relates to your specific personality type (among other courses).
Research findings for improving well-being for all 16 MBTI types
ISTJ
General well-being tips
- Reading
- Exercise
- Adjusting my expectations
Work well-being tips
- When needed, help co-workers
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Align my work goals with my career goals
ISFJ
General well-being tips
- Reading
- Eating meals with others
- Adjusting my expectations
Work well-being tips
- Align my work goals with my career goals
- Structure my work so I have flexible work hours
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
INFJ
General well-being tips
- Reading
- Adjusting my expectations
- Mindfulness techniques
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Remind myself of why my work matters
ENFP
General well-being tips
- Reading
- Mindfulness techniques
- Meditation
Work well-being tips
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Invest time getting to know co-workers
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
ENTP
General well-being tips
- Adjusting my expectations
- Watching television
- Yoga
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Align my work with my career goals
- Acknowledge recognition I receive for work
ESTP
General well-being tips
- Eating meals with others
- Reading spiritual literature
- Attending parties
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Take meal breaks at work
- When needed, accept help from co-workers
INTJ
General well-being tips
- Exercise
- Eating meals with others
- Mindfulness techniques
Work well-being tips
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Manage my work to ensure I have leisure time
ISTP
General well-being tips
- Adjusting my expectations
- Mindfulness techniques
- Reading
Work well-being tips
- When needed, help co-workers
- When needed, accept help from co-workers
- Remind myself of why my work matters
ISFP
General well-being tips
- Eating meals with others
- Reading
- Participating in my religious group
Work well-being tips
- When needed, help co-workers
- Invest time getting to know my co-workers
- Manage my work to ensure I have leisure time
ESFP
General well-being tips
- Participating in my religious group
- Listening to or playing music
- Exercise
Work well-being tips
- Invest time getting to know co-workers
- Manage my work to ensure I have leisure time
- Discuss positive work experiences with others
ENFJ
General well-being tips
- Eating meals with others
- Exercise
- Mindfulness techniques
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Remind myself of why my work matters
ENTJ
General well-being tips
- Reading
- Walking
- Listening to or playing music
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Align my work goals with my career goals
- Invest time getting to know my co-workers
INFP
General well-being tips
- Mindfulness techniques
- Exercise
- Meditation
Work well-being tips
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Structure my work so I have flexible work hours
INTP
General well-being tips
- Exercise
- Participating in my religious group
- Using stress management techniques
Work well-being tips
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- Seek assignments that give me a sense of purpose
- When needed, help co-workers
ESTJ
General well-being tips
- Walking
- Listening to or playing music
- Watching television
Work well-being tips
- Align my work with my career goals
- Undertake work where I learn something new
- When needed, help co-workers
ESFJ
General well-being tips
- Eating meals with others
- Reading
- Mindfulness techniques
Work well-being tips
- Invest time getting to know my co-workers
- Align my work with my career goals
- Structure my work so I have flexible work hours
