16 Ways to Handle Chaotic Days: Overloaded Grocery Workers and Personality Types

Procedures that make it nearly impossible to work at the required pace? Check.

Lack of proper supplies and equipment? Check.

A random, ever-changing work schedule? Check.

Unreliable income due to fluctuating hours? Check.

Low wages and scant benefits, if any? Check.

If you’ve ever worked grocery retail (or any retail job), much of the above checklist might seem like business as usual. If you haven’t, then consider it a glimpse into the lives of millions of people who are often overworked and underappreciated, especially in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. A friend of ours who works for a major retailer offered some beautiful honesty about this:

“Working out in the public is getting a little nerve-wracking. Every time my allergies act up from the pollen here, I have a tiny bit of panic, hoping it isn’t this nasty virus. Customers don’t make it easy (most are nice), but the rude ones only make the anxiety and stress worse. I’ve been working long hours with customers in my face, and it’s stressful, and honestly, our management hasn’t made it any less stressful.

I’m sure anyone that works out in the public is feeling this way. But I don’t normally feel so panicky or stressed; it’s exhausting. Not to mention when I come home, I have to shower and clean my clothes immediately. I’m so worried about bringing this home to my babies and my boyfriend. I also can’t afford to take the time off and stay home, so to work I go; for my family, trying to keep them safe and fed. ❤ I am so thankful for my job, though. But I’m one exhausted mama.”
Josalyn

Grocery workers not only manage to do critical work under tough circumstances – most of them also do it with care in their hearts. Want to help them? It’s simple: be calm, kind, and patient in stores, especially during checkout. Tedious as it might seem, you’re one, done, and out the door – but these workers do it hundreds of times before they get to go home. So be nice to them.

People with different personality types working in a grocery store.

For our part, we’d like to offer some advice on how grocery workers of each personality type can cope with their stressful workload in these troubled times. We’ll point out some tendencies each type can watch out for and some approaches to consider that can make a stressful shift a little better.

Not sure what your personality type is? Find out with our free, easy personality test.

Analyst Personality Types

Architects (INTJ)

Watch for: Your Intuitive personality trait – combined with your Thinking method of examining the fine scale of reality – can reveal the flaws in just about anything. When you lack the power to make things as your Judging trait tells you they should be, it can really add to your stress. Trying to optimize during a crisis is practically impossible, and your awareness of problems can be a source of stress.

Consider: It’s only logical that your mind recognizes obstacles to be overcome. But negative things aren’t the only ones in sight, and you’re undoubtedly doing a lot of good. Let any accomplishments boost your morale, even routine ones. If you deliberately feed positive perceptions – however few are available – into your mental computer, it’ll generate inspiration and satisfaction. A half-empty glass can still be a refreshing drink of water.

Logicians (INTP)

Watch for: When stress mounts, your Intuitive and Prospecting personality traits can be a source of distraction. It’s perfectly natural that when the stakes are high, you’ll see and want to try new approaches to help improve the situation. But if new methods don’t work out as you’d hoped, it can really drain your enthusiasm and morale, tempting you to give up.

Consider: Experimentation is a driving force for you, but you can narrow it down to reduce the risk of distraction – and disappointment. Build a footing of “wins” a little at a time to elevate your morale. You’ll feel more energized and happier if you usefully flex your mental freedom but focus on completing just one task at a time, no matter what innovative approach you take. Then you can go on to the next thing.

Commanders (ENTJ)

Watch for: Judging Extraverts can get intense, especially when the pressure is high and they have a good idea or opinion. But a stressful day in the store isn’t the best time for intellectual sparring or competitiveness. You love to succeed, and your morale may suffer if you don’t feel like your contributions are valued. But in these tense times, that may require more than simply being right.

Consider: Compromise isn’t easy, but in a team environment, nothing reduces stress like cooperation and mutual support. The best way to improve a difficult, abnormal workday is to make sure that you’re part of the solution, and a little flexibility can save a lot of stress in that regard. This may take patience, but if you focus more on how much you can do than exactly how it’s accomplished, you’ll feel empowered, appreciated, and less frustrated.

Debaters (ENTP)

Watch for: Debaters’ Extraverted expression of their Thinking and Prospecting traits makes them more comfortable with conflict than most personality types. But the ability to enjoy opposing others doesn’t always contribute to a positive, easier workday. If your stress makes you too argumentative, you may destroy your and others’ morale – even without meaning to.

Consider: You can do immense good that feels good without stifling yourself: offer to deal with other people for the sake of your team – a difficult customer, a misbehaving vendor, or an unreasonable supervisor. (Obviously, your goal should always be a polite, positive outcome.) Your durability when it comes to social stress can relieve your coworkers of a great burden, and shielding them can make you feel like a hero.

Diplomat Personality Types

Advocates (INFJ)

Watch for: As with any Introvert, when your preferred limits on social contact are exceeded (like during an extra-busy retail shift), your general stress increases. If this goes too far, your aggravation may be expressed through your Judging and Intuitive personality traits. You want things to be ideal and orderly and may find yourself struggling with the uncertainties of the times. This drags down your morale and energy.

Consider: Dealing with stress is easier if you give more attention to the genuinely positive aspects of your job. Your Feeling trait helps you draw inspiration and energy from the people you interact with. You can also gently remind yourself that it’s not your fault that you can’t control (or predict) everything as well as you want to right now. It’ll be far easier to stay positive if you relax your expectations a little bit.

Mediators (INFP)

Watch for: Your Intuitive and Prospecting traits may combine to pull you in many directions at once – even on a normal day. Stress and exhaustion can make this worse. You may find yourself feeling scattered and unfocused, especially when you try to get your head around everything that must be done in addition to managing your own feelings. This can lead to even more stress.

Consider: Instead of trying to organize all your actions and thoughts, try to work on what’s in front of you, and let things unfold step-by-step. Don’t be afraid to lean on coworkers to help keep your energy and attention focused where it should be. Scale the duration of social interactions back to an acceptable minimum if it helps you handle the stressful volume of people.

Protagonists (ENFJ)

Watch for: Difficult days may cause your Judging and Intuitive traits to make you hyperaware of anything that doesn’t fit your vision or seem to work well. However, your Extraversion puts a certain spin on this – you may attack those things aggressively in order to change them. This can put you at odds with people who see things in a different way, creating more stress in your environment.

Consider: Positive action is good, but when everyone’s stressed, it’s especially important not to get carried away by heading only in your direction. Let your Feeling personality trait remind you that behind every interaction is another human being with unique needs, feelings, and fears. Supporting each other will solve more problems in the long run and reduce friction – which lessens stress.

Campaigners (ENFP)

Watch for: Your Feeling and Prospecting traits might interfere with your work activity more than create issues inside you. When you’re overstressed and worried, it’s hard to put routine or technical tasks above reassuring human contact. Your ability to connect warmly with people is a balm to yourself and others, but it’s a bad time to let social interactions mess up productivity.

Consider: Campaigner personalities love to help people, and in your store, your vigorous accomplishments will help the most people possible get what they need. Let that motivate you even when the task is boring. You’re also more likely to get restless if you work alone, so whenever possible, try to team up with others. Your social nature can boost morale even as you remind yourself to stay focused on helping people.

Sentinel Personality Types

Logisticians (ISTJ)

Watch for: You likely have a very refined way of doing your work, based on personal experience and your Thinking and Judging traits. And as your routine methods are upset by unusual circumstances, you may find yourself desperately trying to establish order – and stressed if you can’t. Regardless of how things are, the mere fact that they’re chaotic will upset you, if you let it.

Consider: To reduce your stress, you may have to relax some of your established methods and attitudes, at least for a while. It can help to redefine your goals. Remind yourself that, overall, the general outcome is the priority, not any one method of getting there, no matter how efficient. You don’t deserve the stress of trying to achieve perfection during the current situation, and it’s only logical to loosen your approach.

Defenders (ISFJ)

Watch for: In a super busy store, you may find yourself internalizing stress much more than normal. Your Observant and Judging personality traits lend themselves to a kind of matter-of-fact coping mode that ensures that work gets done but may cause you to suppress your feelings in the meantime. If you don’t express what’s going on inside you, your stress will build and cause problems.

Consider: Duty might seem to require you to handle your stress quietly, but seeking help, emotional or otherwise, isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a sign of responsibility, just like reporting a problem in your store. Asking coworkers or managers for support so that you can do your best work helps everyone, which is something you can feel good about. So, reach out, even if it’s just to talk.

Executives (ESTJ)

Watch for: Like Logisticians, your sense of routine and efficiency is challenged by chaotic changes. But your Extraversion causes you to express your desire for control of the situation outwardly and vigorously. You may find yourself pushing for established methods or goals that aren’t practical at the moment, and redirecting that energy can be a difficult, stressful challenge.

Consider: As radical as it may seem to one with such a solid sense of purpose, this is an excellent time to look at how other people successfully get things done. As a part of a team, you’re not alone in the struggle to adapt to strange, changed times. Lean on your Extraverted social side: you may be surrounded by ideas and methods that can help you, if you are willing to reach out and try them.

Consuls (ESFJ)

Watch for: As the stress mounts in your store, your Feeling personality trait and Extraversion can cause you to become a caretaker. And, with your Judging sense of goal-orientation in the mix, you might feel like you’re responsible for everyone and everything. You’re not, though, and taking on too much can burn you out before you realize it. Then you won’t do anyone any good.

Consider: Your natural instincts to organize and care for others are great things in an overworked store. You just need to balance your efforts to keep them sustainable. Know when to back off an exhausting goal that can wait, and when to care for yourself instead of others. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you must – save some energy for the road ahead.

Explorer Personality Types

Virtuosos (ISTP)

Watch for: Your Introversion and Thinking trait make you relatively detached and independent from others. When you start to get stressed out, you may retreat into solitude as a defense and may even become aloof to other people. This can cause problems in a team-oriented store environment, which only adds stress for everyone.

Consider: Your Prospecting and Observant traits help you adapt to unforeseen changes, so you have a better shot at staying calm and pragmatic than many people. Affirming a capable, “It’s no big deal” attitude outwardly can help stabilize your own feelings in stressful times – and reassure others. Let your cool inner state radiate affably, even if you don’t put a ton of energy into being social.

Adventurers (ISFP)

Watch for: Your Introversion means that you’re likely to process stress internally, and your Feeling trait can make you sensitive to the emotional states of people around you. When you, your customers, and your coworkers are upset, the combination can overload you. As if that weren’t enough, all those feelings may also distract you from the tasks at hand, creating other stresses.

Consider: Your Prospecting personality trait helps you adapt to changing input, and your Observant trait helps you connect to practical realities and stay in the moment. These are excellent tools for keeping your stress under control as you work. But expressing feelings can be therapeutic. Share your thoughts with trusted coworkers – just letting them out will make you feel better.

Entrepreneurs (ESTP)

Watch for: Your Extraversion and Prospecting traits help you tune in to what’s going on around you, but when stressed, you might not connect with people as deeply as is beneficial. Your Thinking trait may put you into a minimally empathetic survival mode. That may help with crisis management, but it won’t do much to access the support of others who can lower your stress levels.

Consider: Your durable combination of personality traits can help you keep going amid chaos, but when it comes to just feeling better and reducing stress, human connections will make a big difference. Try to be open to what other people are feeling and going through. When you show others a little bit of care, you’ll gain their support in turn, and that will make your day easier.

Entertainers (ESFP)

Watch for: Oddly enough, the thing that probably makes you such an appreciated part of your store might bite you in a crisis: your sense of fun. On a normal day, this can boost everyone’s mood and energy. But as a busy store makes you stressed, you might find yourself wanting to escape into fun at the cost of your duties – and perhaps taking others along with you.

Consider: Your impulse to grab on to joy to combat stress is a good one, but know where to draw the line. One thing you might consider is that with so many people depending on grocery workers right now, your work itself has bright meaning. There’s nothing wrong with joking or having fun (please do!), but getting basic work done will bring profound happiness to people in difficult times, and that can feel good too.

Relieving Stress: A Universal Need

So what do you do about stress after a hectic shift at your store?

We informally polled retail grocery workers about what they do to unwind and feel better during these tough days. It may come as no surprise that they cited widely varied personal activities that take place outside of work. When work is a source of stress, there’s only so much you can do to cope on the job. Downtime is key.

It’s a good idea to arrange your free time for maximum relaxation and pleasure. It doesn’t have to be anything grand. Take a little time to think about what brings you joy – it’s surely even more unique than your personality type. Some common things we heard include:

recreating with loved ones
catching up on sleep
relaxing and watching TV in bed or on the couch
playing with pets (great stress relief!)
doing personal arts and crafts projects
reading or listening to music
home improvement projects
cooking favorite treats
outdoor activities (alone or with immediate family members)

Certain household duties can give you a sense of normalcy that can be calming during such strange times. But if other family members are not working, don’t hesitate to ask them to do more chores so you can use your meager off time to relax. (There has also never been a better time for children to help out and practice basic homelife skills.)

We hope the above ideas give you some inspiration about how you can handle your business without losing your spirit. And there’s more: reading the free profile for your personality type can evolve your understanding of yourself, your amazing strengths, and how your type best approaches life’s challenges.

From the bottom of our hearts (and stomachs), we thank you.