Listen to the Conversation
Interviewer: How do you deal with stressful situations?
Sharon: I usually take a break in order to clear my mind. I try to separate myself from the stressful situation.
Interviewer: How do you separate yourself?
Sharon: Usually I take a walk, but sometimes I do other things like enjoying a cup of coffee in the park, calling my mom, or going to the gym. Really, I try to do anything that takes my mind off the problem.
Interviewer: Can you give me an example of when you did this?
Sharon: Sure. About six months ago I faced a major problem. My client was demanding that we complete their order by a certain date, but my production staff kept telling me that it was impossible. This was very stressful. So, I took a little break and gave everybody some time to calm down, and then I went back and talked to everybody again. In the end, we were able to reach a compromise that satisfied everybody.
Interviewer: That’s great. Similar situations occur quite often at our company.
Sharon: Well, I have a lot of experience dealing with those situations.
Patterns and Examples
When I am faced with a stressful situation, I ____________________.
- When I am faced with a stressful situation, I like to talk about it with my close colleagues.
- When I am faced with a stressful situation, I take deep breaths to calm down.
I deal with a stressful situation by ____________________.
- I deal with a stressful situation by taking a break and having a cup of coffee.
- I deal with a stressful situation by making a list of things I need to do and planning things out.
I ____________________. This helps me deal with a stressful situation.
- I take a break from work to clear my mind. This helps me deal with a stressful situation.
- I get a cup of coffee or take a walk. This helps me deal with a stressful situation.
