People who resort to so-called ”busy bragging” – stress bragging – often do so to appear more capable than others. But instead, they are perceived as more incompetent and less pleasant by their colleagues. Others are also less inclined to relieve and help people who brag about their high stress levels. Their bragging can also contribute to others being more susceptible to burnout, a new study shows. This is because the stress bragging creates a work environment where people believe that they are expected to have too much on their plate. The feeling of stress is therefore contagious to those who do not actually feel stressed. If you feel overworked, it is okay to talk about it with others, but you should not talk about it as if it were an achievement, the researchers say. This has the opposite effect.

Source: Personnel Psychology