That\u2019s according to new research from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business<\/a>. In addition, so-called \u201cstress bragging\u201d can induce higher levels of burnout among coworkers on the receiving end of the boasting, per the study published in March in the journal Personnel Psychology<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a behavior we\u2019ve all seen, and we all might be guilty of at some point,\u201d lead author Jessica Rodell, PhD<\/a>, said in a news release<\/a> about her research. \u201cWhen I was wondering about why people do this, I thought maybe we are talking about our stress<\/a> because we want to prove we\u2019re good enough. We found out that often backfires.\u201d<\/p>\n Stress comes in many forms; this study in particular examines it as \u201cthe psychological state when one feels that their demands exceed their capacity.\u201d And it\u2019s a major problem. The American Psychological Association\u2019s 2023 Work in America Survey<\/a> showed 77% of respondents experienced work-related stress in the past month. For 57%, this led to a range of negative impacts, from emotional exhaustion (31%) to lower productivity (20%) to feelings of being ineffective (18%).<\/p>\n By 2025, the market for global workplace stress management<\/a> is expected to reach $11.3 billion, according to a Research and Markets<\/a> analysis. But because Rodell and her team felt previous research focused on individual ramifications of workplace stress, they sought to assess how it affects and is interpreted by others.<\/p>\n In the first part of the study, 360 participants were asked to evaluate an imaginary coworker who had just returned from a conference at which they were recognized as one of the previous year\u2019s top performers. In this scenario, the hypothetical coworker was asked how the conference went. Study participants were randomly assigned one of four responses:<\/p>\n When comparing the stress bragging group to the control group, researchers found perceived stress bragging negatively impacts people\u2019s perceptions of their coworker\u2019s warmth and competence. Furthermore, participants were less likely to say they\u2019d help the stress-bragging colleague at work.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are harming themselves by doing this thing they think is going to make them look better to their colleagues,\u201d Rodell said.<\/p>\n Concerning the alternative controls, employees who bragged about stress were viewed as less likable than those who merely discussed it. The difference between their perceived competency wasn\u2019t statistically significant. Employees who bragged about stress were also seen as less competent than the self-promoters. However, the stress braggarts were viewed as more likable than the self-promoters.<\/p>\n PeopleImages via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another part of the study asked 218 people to assess their real-life experience with workplace stress braggarts and the impact it had on their own mental health. The researchers found a correlation between stress bragging and heightened stress and burnout on the receiving coworker. These results are hardly benign, Rodell said, and can have larger implications for the work environment.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen somebody is constantly talking about and bragging about their stress, it makes it seem like it is a good thing to be stressed,\u201d she said. \u201cIt just spills over onto the coworker next to them. They wind up feeling more stressed, which leads to higher burnout or withdrawal from their work. Think of it as this spiraling contagious effect from one person to the next.\u201d<\/p>\n For some, stress bragging may be a well-intentioned way to blow off steam. \u201cIf you genuinely feel stressed, it\u2019s OK to find the right confidant to share with and talk about it,\u201d Rodell said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chronic stress<\/a>, however, can lead to physical and psychological problems<\/a>, from heart disease to insomnia. Building a sense of community at your workplace can help identify when a colleague is struggling, Jaclyn Wainwright<\/a>, cofounder and CEO of Aircare Health<\/a>, said last week during a panel discussion at Fortune<\/em>\u2019s Brainstorm Health<\/a> conference in Dana Point, Calif.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople who are suffering from mental health problems, diagnoses, disorders, they often have an inability to raise their hand and ask for help,\u201d Wainwright said. \u201cThey almost require a group of people around them to understand that they are not OK, to recognize that they are struggling. And they certainly can\u2019t have that happen in a vacuum.\u201d<\/p>\n If you need immediate mental health support, contact the <\/em>988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n For more on workplace wellness:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. <\/span>Sign up<\/span><\/a> for free today.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nEmployees less inclined to help stress-bragging coworkers<\/h2>\n
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Stress bragging has \u2018spiraling contagious effect\u2019 on coworkers<\/h2>\n