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What is the line between positive and negative pressure in the workplace?

14 Answers
Last Updated: 09/11/2018 at 8:01am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.

Top Rated Answers
NinaBella5084r
January 29th, 2015 5:01pm
Where employer and employee work together to not only coexist, but work towards a generally safe, and pleasant environment. Pressure can be present, if it allows the individual to become motivated to be successful in completing the task, without any outside ridicule.
Guidancefortheunguided
January 27th, 2015 3:12am
when you feel someone is attempting to limit your capability or deprive you of opportunity, because nobody has the right to limit anybody .
bouncyCandy18
April 14th, 2015 4:07am
When you don't feel comfortable anymore, it is negative pressure. If you feel you are being asked to do something you do not feel okay with doing, it is negative pressure.
ShiningPanda13
July 7th, 2015 3:19pm
When things personally make you feel badly about yourself - that you don't 'fit in' or are afforded the proper respect, or that you simply do not have the skills or support to accomplish your responsibilities - is negative pressure. Positive pressure is anything that gets you to the outcome, achievement, or deadline you have to or want to meet. You can make positive pressure into negative pressure by internalizing things as negative. Think of times when you pushed yourself through something and did what you set out to do to remember that you actually do have the ability to get through your current situation, even if you don't yet know exactly how yet.
Anonymous
May 19th, 2015 4:45pm
It seems the line is crossed into negative pressure when it is no longer motivational, it weighs on your shoulders, and you are incapable of functioning as you used to.
Samalyn
August 10th, 2015 3:11am
I think positive pressure would be constructive where negative is destructive. If it brings you down it is negative. If it gives you ideas or options to improve it would be positive.
Anonymous
November 27th, 2015 1:32am
Positive pressure allows you to challenge yourself and work to the best of your abilities, it gives you a reward that makes the struggle worth it. Negative pressure makes you hate your task/job and limits your capabilities as you feel weighed down by the pressure. The reward usually isn't worth the struggle.
Anonymous
March 28th, 2016 9:39am
When pressure becomes too much for you, this is not positive pressure and actions should be undertaken.
Greatlistener87
- Expert in Work Stress
August 22nd, 2016 6:27am
Pressure is positive if you are learning something and it does not mess with your health. Pressure is negative if your health us jeopardize does not matter whether its physical,mental or emotional.
SMLHappy
September 13th, 2016 2:32pm
The line is built by you. You are the expert on you, and you know what feels healthy and what feels unhealthy. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, it is probably negative pressure.
HappyAndReady
January 3rd, 2017 9:54am
Anything that is manipulative, or unreasonable is negative. Learn to stand up for yourself and fight for what you know are your solid rights and obligations. Outside of that, if it is simply a deadline, or anything that can bring about a positive benefit for your company as a whole, and that must include you, then find ways to work better under such pressure, that might mean making some adjustments outside of your work life so that you are better able to cope with your work demands! Think hard, about this! The solution might surprise you!
sereneSoul23
August 1st, 2017 8:46pm
Positive "pressure" is when you are working hard but you are still feeling motivated. You still want to wake up and go to work. it pushes you to do your best work. It becomes negative if you are feeling a sense of burn out or that other people are taking advantage of you and the work becomes too overwhelming. It takes a lot of guts to be able to say no but it is worth it in the end
apositivepsych
May 29th, 2018 6:51pm
Positive pressure - Helps employees to perform better at work. For instance, a work target which can challenge the potential of an employee at the same time it is not too difficult for that employee to achieve it. Negative pressure - Harms employee performance at work. For instance, poor work environment wherein an employee tackles with prejudice from the boss and at the same made to work long hours compared to other employees.
TogetherForeverAlways
September 11th, 2018 8:01am
Sometimes it is really hard to tell, but if when you get home you can't disconnect/abstract yourself form work, have trouble sleeping because you keep thinking how much you'll have to work tomorrow and how stressful you'll be, then probably you're having too much negative instead of positive pressure in the workplace. Also if you feel constantly or frequently upset, short-tempered, emotion overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, short-breathed, drinking too much caffeine or consuming large amounts of alcohol or having other unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with frustration and high expectations both while, before and after work that's also an indicator of negative pressure.