How Do You Handle Stress Interview Questions? (With Sample Answers)

Regardless of the industry you work in or the kind of job you do, you can expect some level of stress to accompany the execution of your duties.

Employers need the assurance that the candidate they hire will not buckle under the pressure that comes their way.

As a result, “How do you handle pressure?” is one of the most common interview questions you will have to answer.

How well you answer this question and convince the interviewer that you’re equipped to manage stress can determine whether you make it to the next stage of the process or get weeded out.

In this post, we’re going to provide some sample answers that you can draw inspiration from, build upon, or use as a guideline to craft the perfect response to this line of inquiry.

Different Forms of “How Do You Handle Stress” Interview Questions

Hiring managers and interviewers can use different ways and words to ask how you tackle stress. You need to be ready to modify your prepared answer to suit the specific context you’re given.

Photo by Gustavo Fring

Let’s take a look at some common variations of stress-related questions you may be asked in an interview.

• How did you handle a stressful situation that helped you learn valuable skills?
• How do you deal with stress and pressure?
• Do you have any stress management skills?
• How do you keep stress in your personal life from interfering with your work performance?
• When you encounter challenges at work, how do you tackle them?
• How do you deal with pressure at work?
• What’s an example of a time when you faced a difficult situation at work and how did you handle it?
• How do you manage working in stressful situations?
• Can you give me five examples of methods for coping with stress?
• What techniques do you use to manage stress?
• Do you perform well under pressure?

Sample Answers to “How Do You Handle Stress”

Here are some examples of insightful answers you can give if an interviewer poses a question about workplace pressures and your methods for dealing with them.

Sample Answer #1

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“Whenever I’m facing considerable stress at work, my solution is to stay calm and attack it with a level head. I believe that panicking does more harm than good in these circumstances.

For example, at my last job, there was a time when I was overseeing the development of a new product. Technical issues arose that threatened to delay the scheduled launch date.

Everyone was confused and worried about the consequences of the delay but I took my time to consider possible solutions. I then suggested that we all work longer hours and on weekends to fix the problems and make up for the delay.

The team found my solution agreeable and we were able to reorganize, address the challenge, and release the product as planned.”

Key Takeaway: This sample answer doesn’t just explain how you manage stress. It goes a step further to provide an example of how you problem-solved and succeeded in achieving your goals despite the pressure you were under.

Sample Answer #2

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“I think we underestimate how much stress we can avoid or reduce by over-communicating.

When faced with a stressful situation, my strategy is to ramp up my communication efforts. This ensures all the stakeholders have a clear understanding of the workload and the timeline for completion.

I let my managers know what I’m working on at each point in time and when they can expect to see results.

So, they can plan accordingly and won’t have to keep checking in constantly or adding things to my plate when I’m already at capacity.

I also like to carry every other team member along and check in on their tasks to ensure there is no duplication of efforts.

This also creates room for us to collectively devise strategies to cope with the stress and cut down any issues that might be slowing down progress.”

Key Takeaway: With this answer, you’re showing the interviewer that you have a strategic approach to dealing with and working through stress.

Instead of being blindsided and flailing about cluelessly, you faced the problem head-on and utilized proper communication to assuage concerns.

Sample Answer #3

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“I find that a good amount of pressure can be a motivating factor that pushes me to be my most productive and efficient self. For example, when there’s a lot on my plate, I like to break each project down into smaller tasks.

Then I assign deadlines to each task even if no overarching deadlines have been set for the project. This way, I have goals to work towards which help keep me on track and allow me to prioritize my workload so I don’t end up feeling overwhelmed by stress.”

Key Takeaway: This response puts a positive on pressure by talking about how you take control of it instead of letting it control you.

It also highlights the actions you take to boost productivity even when you’re experiencing stress.

Sample Answer #4

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“I believe managing stress is one of the most important skills I’ve mastered in my career so far. I take particular care to maintain a balance between my work responsibilities and my personal life and I try not to let one encroach into the other.

I am very organized, assertive, and good at setting boundaries. This helps me acknowledge stressors and nip them in the bud before they start to affect my performance or focus on either front.”

Key Takeaway: One of the things interviewers are trying to determine when they ask how you handle stress is whether you can keep tensions from your personal life from interfering with your work.

This response not only assures them that you know how to separate both worlds but that you have ways of remaining calm and focused in the face of stress.

Sample Answer #5

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“I know that dealing with stress is often a prerequisite for the job so I don’t waste much time dwelling on it or complaining. Even when I run into unexpected challenges at work, I try to keep my head up and take advantage of the tools at my disposal to address them.

For example, in my last role, I had a manager who left the company a week after I was hired. I was still learning the ropes of the job and we were the only members of the marketing team.

So as you can imagine, it was not a pleasant experience and I was left feeling rudderless. I was able to rise above the circumstances by reaching out to team leaders in other departments to ask for guidance and instructions on how to get up to speed faster.

I also devoted a few hours after work to assess what I’d learned so far and where my knowledge gaps were and come up with a plan to hasten my time-to-productivity.

Within five months, I was already a high-performing employee and was even able to absorb additional responsibilities until a new manager was hired.”

Key Takeaway: This answer uses the STAR method to provide an in-depth response to the interview question. First, it describes a time when you had to contend with a difficult scenario and the task or challenge you faced.

Then it talks about the actions you took to mitigate the stressful situation and the results that followed.

Sample Answer #6

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“What I do when I find myself feeling overcome by stress is to take a few minutes to diagnose the source or cause of the stress. Understanding what’s prompting the stress allows me to take effective action to relieve it.

Sometimes, the action could be taking a little break or watching an episode of my favorite sitcom to relax. It could also be talking to my partner on the phone or admitting that I’m dealing with too much and asking for help.”

Key Takeaway: This is how you demonstrate that you are highly emotionally intelligent.

It shows you’re able to interrogate your feelings and self-regulate to lighten stress rather than giving in and falling apart.

Sample Answer #7

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“My most powerful tool for managing stress is planning. I like to rise above difficult situations by constructing a detailed plan for each task on my daily to-do list.

I find that breaking down assignments in this way lets me streamline my workflow and focus on what needs to be done at each point in time.

Planning helps me avoid unnecessary delays, predict issues that may stand in the way of my success, and effectively communicate with other parties involved in the project.”

Key Takeaway: This briefly explains the practices you use to maintain focus and sharpen your mind so you can continuously do great work.

Sample Answer #8

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“I do some of my best work under pressure and I tend to excel in fast-paced, intensive environments. I take pride in my ability to adapt, multi-task, and handle worrisome circumstances without losing my cool.

I have a journal where I track my upcoming and current deliverables. This allows me to plan for potential outcomes ahead of time and tackle tasks based on their importance.

I am careful not to overextend myself to the point where I get burnt out so I dedicate time to care for my mental and physical health.

I prioritize “me time” on weekends to help me destress so I can return to work every week feeling at ease and ready to take over the world.”

Key Takeaway: What makes this answer stand out is that it positions you as a candidate who has experience and is comfortable working in high-pressure environments.

It also mentions the proactive steps you take to reduce any pent-up workplace frustrations before they have a chance to get in the way of your performance.

Sample Answer #9

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“For me, the first step to dealing with stress is discerning whether I’m up against the good kind of stress or the bad kind of stress.

If it’s healthy stress like having a tight deadline, I use the pressure as fuel to spur me to work harder and faster.

Also, I leverage my time management skills to help me plan my priorities better. But if it’s bad stress that arises from constantly having to interact with irate customers or a toxic work environment, then I will address this with my manager.

Furthermore, I will rely on my meditation skills. When I feel negative feelings starting to take over, I take a few steps back and practice breathing deeply.

It might seem trivial or even silly but I find it’s a very effective way to clear my head and recenter myself so I can return to the situation and attack it with fresh eyes.”

Key Takeaway: By mentioning the healthy techniques you use to reduce stress, you’re positioning yourself as someone who is mentally equipped to handle whatever the job throws at you.

You’re telling the interviewer that you know how to cope with pressure and will be able to thrive in the position if hired.

Sample Answer #10

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“I handle stress by finding outlets for the tension that enrich my mental and physical well-being. For instance, I start all my mornings doing yoga or some form of physical exercise to get my blood pumping and to rid myself of any pent-up negative energy from the day before.

I like to go on walking lunches to soak in the natural environment and recharge my mind. When I’m feeling particularly stressed, I swap lunchtime for a quick yoga session so I can regain my zen and effectively confront the struggles I’m faced with.

For me, these simple activities are an instant mood lifter.”

Key Takeaway: When answering, you can choose to be straightforward and focus on the specific stress management strategies you use as this sample response does.

It’s detailed enough for you to skip providing situational examples to buttress the point you’re making.

Sample Answer #11

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“Oftentimes, work-related stress is just a matter of having too many responsibilities competing for my attention.

So instead of surrendering to the chaos, my strategy is to spend a few moments making a list of all the tasks on my plate so I know what has me stressed.

I then move on to rank them according to their urgency and make a note of which ones I can multitask on and which demands my undivided attention.

Armed with this information, I can make judicious use of my time and take the course of action that will satisfy most people first before moving on to less pressing tasks.

I also make sure to keep team members, supervisors, customers, or other stakeholders in the loop as I go so they know I’m taking the task at hand seriously.”

Key Takeaway: The reason this response works is because it not only talks about how you handle stress. But it also discusses the specific skills you use to achieve this such as multitasking, communication, organization, and more.

Sample Answer #12

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“As a project manager, stress emanates from different aspects of my work. There are client expectations, squabbles between team members, manager demands, and more. And it’s my job to liaise with these parties and make sure all the moving pieces are in order.

I know I can’t afford to lose my cool or let any anxieties or tension I may be feeling take over. So when pressure begins to build up, I try to ignore the negative emotion and direct all my attention to the situation and what I can do to mitigate the challenges.

I try not to take things personally because I know they are not necessarily about me. I keep my eye on the bigger picture which is tackling all outstanding issues so projects can move forward.”

Key Takeaway: This response discusses the ways they encounter stress in your role to show that you have experience dealing with high-pressure situations.

Also, it doesn’t neglect to mention examples of techniques you use to combat stress and get the job done.

Conclusion

There’s no one right away to answer questions about how you deal with stress when asked in an interview. However, knowing how to structure your answers and practicing what you might say when the question comes up will enable you to deliver an articulate response every time.

Remember to maintain composure and avoid saying anything that will come across as unprofessional.

Instead, use your answer to signify that you’re the right person for the position.