Knowing when and how to ask for help is a vital workplace skill, whether you’re a first jobber or a seasoned pro. In fact, the importance of recognising when you need help and being able to share your workload with colleagues can’t be underestimated, regardless of experience and position. Why? Because asking for help and lightening your load prevents overwhelm, stress, and burnout. Not to mention ensuring work gets done on time and to standard.
All the same, you’re backwards at coming forwards, despite feeling like you’re about to spontaneously combust! Sound familiar? You’re not alone, due to a heady combination of factors.
Common Reasons for Suffering in Silence
You’re not just busy. You’re seriously up against it. So, what’s stopping you shouting up for help?
- Fear of letting your guard down – One of the most common reasons people hesitate to ask for help is fear of being perceived as weak or incompetent. But, it’s all in your mind. After all, everybody needs a helping hand from time to time. So, think of asking for help as a sign of strength instead. Admitting you need additional support demonstrates maturity and responsibility by ensuring the work gets done.
- Toxic workplace culture – Is there a sense of it being every wo/man for themselves? Do you feel like you need to be ‘hardcore’ to be accepted and gain kudos, win that promotion or avoid that next raft of looming redundancies? Any of these reasons for not asking for help might say more about your employer than about you.
- Belief you can handle everything yourself – Perhaps you genuinely think you can handle as much as they can throw at you. The thing is, this mindset can lead to not only burnout, but other potential problems, like missed deadlines or subpar work. Conversely, sharing your workload with colleagues fosters a sense of teamwork and collaboration. Win:Win!
In short, knowing when to ask for help is crucial to your own sanity and to the business. So, don’t be afraid to reach out to your manager and colleagues if you need an extra pair of hands. Sooner or later, you’ll have the opportunity to return the favour when it’s their turn to feel out or control.
At Stress Matters, we work on behalf of many stretched HR teams to manage workplace wellbeing via our powerful Wellbeing Manager Programme. We’re here to make life easier when you’ve seen and felt the impact of staff struggling, but managing their wellbeing is hard when it’s not your day job.
