We get it, you’re under a lot of pressure. Here’s how to shift your mindset to deal

Although working conditions have improved steadily over the past century, workplace pressure is unfortunately rather common. The causes of pressure are wide-ranging, but major factors typically include excessive workloads, lack of support from management, and toxic workplace cultures and leaders.

To put this into perspective, global data by Gallup indicates that about 76% of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, and 28% of employees report being burned out “very often” or “always” at work. As Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer notes, “Most of the workplace exposures have health effects comparable to or even greater than exposure to secondhand smoke.”

Curiously, organizations spend a great deal of time encouraging workers to “just be themselves,” to “stop worrying about what others think of them,” and to “just be authentic.”

In reality, though, there are very few benefits in showcasing your stress or burnout to employers, and many clear advantages to playing it cool and faking emotional intelligence. The same organizations are pushing resilience as a critical component of workplace talent and potential, even though resilience tends to involve a rather different range of competencies from authenticity: self-control, impulse-control, emotional regulation, and phlegmatic impression management to understate rather than inflate one’s own natural excitability

Important note: Stress and burnout are serious matters that require adequate treatment and mitigation, but to the extent you can manage to conceal or hide some of the pressure you feel at work, you definitely should.

Here are four science-backed tips for keeping cool while you are feeling pressure, and expressing your best rather than your authentic self.

Practice controlled optimism

Always be positive, but don’t overdo it or you will come across as angry. Avoid phrases like “Everything’s great!” and opt for “We’ll figure this out.” Focus on manageable positives instead of forcing excessive cheer. For example: “This situation is tough, but I know I’ve overcome challenges before.” Smile gently. Don’t grin too much as it can seem forced. Maintain relaxed eye contact and open posture to convey calmness. Practice pausing before responding to appear thoughtful and collected.

Look at the big picture

When pressure rises, remind yourself you’re in a much better situation than you think, and that most people are in. Most people in the world would trade places with you in a heartbeat, so own your privilege and status and build on the advantages you have (I’m talking about people who are not in a position to aspire to your lifestyle, job market, skills, and networks, which includes 90% of people in the world). With that, focus on small, achievable goals rather than focusing on the entire problem. Use phrases like: “What’s the first step here?” to show action-oriented thinking, helping you redirect internal stress into focus.

Focus on others rather than yourself

The best way to hide your problems is to focus on other people’s problems. Let’s face it, everybody is suffering, so your success is not as much a function of avoiding your suffering, but of suffering less than others. And it’s all about reputation, impression, and image.

The best way to conceal your own battles, demons, problems, and suffering is to step up as someone who can help others overcome their battles, demons, problems, and suffering.

That, incidentally, is what we call great leadership. It is also a rare case of selfless, non-entitled, non-narcissistic behaviors and mindset at work. And here’s the best part: It will also distract you from your own problems. Gandhi, who must have been a closet HR fan, put it best: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Direct your complaints and requests for support to non-coworkers

For all the calls to bring our whole self to work, the world does not function like this. There has always been a very healthy separation between our professional and private or personal persona, which is why the best and most successful employees always leave quite a few dimensions of their self or self-complexity at home (In my case, my whole self isn’t even welcomed at home, so I always ensure I take many aspects of it out, even if just for a stroll in the park).

So, maintain professional boundaries by seeking external support when you feel pressure. Workplace dynamics thrive when interactions remain respectful and professional. While it can feel natural to vent frustrations or seek emotional support from coworkers, doing so can blur boundaries and foster unnecessary tension.

Redirecting complaints to trusted individuals outside of work—like friends, family, or professional counselors—helps maintain a healthy, productive work environment. This approach also prevents spreading negative energy within teams, protecting relationships with colleagues, and maintaining focus on shared goals.

There’s always a way to manage impressions and discount the unfiltered and raw emotions you feel. There are always benefits to doing so when those emotions are negative. Organizations wouldn’t be spending so much money to make people happy, engaged, and enthusiastic if they weren’t eager to have a happy and optimistic workforce.

While this is often more aspirational than a feasible goal or reality, you will no doubt improve your reputation and career success if you manage to seem happy, engaged, and positive at work, which involves hiding—or at least not complaining —about the pressure you’re under.

This doesn’t get organizations off the hook for not creating the conditions for people to thrive and engage. But in the meantime, showcasing the right attitude will enhance your career potential, especially when coming across as defeated, worn out, or burned out.