Reduce Stress by Working Longer (at What You Do Well)

When you put what you do well to good use, you feel less stress and you feel better about yourself.

That’s a conclusion drawn from arecent Gallup Daily tracking studyof more than 5,000 adults conducted in August 2012.

“Fifty-two percent of Americans who use their strengths for zero to three hours a day are stressed, but this falls to 36% for Americans who use their strengths for 10 hours per day or more.” Respondents also report feeling less “worry… anger, sadness or physical pain.”

Additionally, according to Gallup “adults who use their strengths for 10 hours or more per day are 22 percentage points more likely to say they have enough energy to get things done than are those who use their strengths for three hours or less.”

These findings are not startling, but they are revealing because they link the application of what we do well to how we feel. Anyone who has worked in a job, or at a job, where they feel their talents and skills are not being utilized will attest to feeling underappreciated. And very often stressed and discouraged.

So the challenge is how do you apply your strengths at work? Find the job that draws upon your abilities so that you feel purposeful. You understand that the work you do requires your commitment and in turn you derive enrichment from the work.

Not every job we do does require a full application of our abilities but unless we apply our abilities we may be prone to problems like stress and discomfort. At the same time I think there are opportunities when we can apply our skills but we do not try because we think it is not what our boss wants us to do.

Toward that end, ask yourself three questions:

What are my strengths? Strengths are a combination of talent and skills. Talent is based upon proclivity and predisposition and skills derive from what you have mastered from schooling and experience. Knowing what you are good at is essential to your success in the workplace.

How can I apply them differently than I do today? Doing what you are doing now may be fine for today but what about tomorrow? Many employees look actively to acquire new skills, along with new training, to prepare for the next job. Doing so also positions you to assume greater levels of responsibility.

What will I do if I cannot use them? This question may be the easiest to answer but the hardest to implement because it may provoke a separation. Reality tells us that not every job is for us.

I recall my first full-time job and the disappointment I felt when I was told that I would not be allowed to make a documentary film about a subject that I thought would be very important to the company. My desire to make the film was more about doing what I thought I could do well rather than what my boss needed me to do in my job as copywriter and audio producer. And yes my dissatisfaction level grew but it was not my boss’s fault. I was simply not right for the job, and soon enough I moved on – better for me, and better for the company, too.

Stress arises when we feel underutilized but happiness rises when we feel we are being purposeful. Finding that balance in the workplace is a challenge that every employee must answer for him or herself.