If you often lie awake at night thinking over life’s stresses, you might be an Advocate (INFJ). People with this personality type tend to worry about the problems of the world and the people around them. Add those worries to their own personal stress, and it’s clear that Advocates can be a frazzled bunch.
Our survey results back up this notion. For example:
- We’ve found that 77% of Advocates often feel overwhelmed by life, significantly above average.
- The vast majority of Advocates (91%) say they have a constant nagging feeling about all the things that they need to get done, compared to a 76% average among all personality types.
- Advocates are one of the least likely types to say they handle difficult situations better than others.
For many with this personality type, though, stress is just a product of how much they tirelessly care. But without a bit of balance, their concerns can create an avalanche of stress. To avoid this overwhelm, it helps to pinpoint the root causes of stress. Here are some of the biggest stress triggers that Advocates should watch out for.
Making Mistakes
Advocates hold themselves – and others – to high standards. Guided by their morals and values, they always want to do the “right” thing. And they can feel deeply troubled by their own slipups.
People with this personality type aren’t likely to keep calm and carry on after making a mistake. Instead, they may feel regretful long after a deed is done. In fact, the majority of Advocates (more than any other type) say they struggle to let go of past mistakes.
Advocates get stressed when they let others down, and the embarrassment of making a mistake in public can be overwhelming for these Introverts. More than other personality types, Advocates say it takes a while to recover after making a mistake in front of family, a friend, or a crowd.
Though they may stress out about making mistakes, we all know that no one’s perfect. For principled Advocates, mistakes don’t have to be seen as all bad. Instead, they can view their blunders as valuable opportunities for growth.
Competition
Competition might motivate some personality types, but it does the opposite for most Advocates. In fact, it can be downright stressful. People with this personality type thrive in cooperative environments. They combine their emotional sensitivities with their trademark altruism to bring harmony and equality to any environment. So when Advocates are in a situation where they’re asked to compete with others, they quickly tense up.
Simply put, competitiveness goes against many of the values that Advocates cherish. Cutthroat workplaces or even a classic sibling rivalry can leave people with this personality type feeling stressed and depleted. And being in opposition with others doesn’t come naturally to Advocates, who can, at times, have people-pleasing tendencies. In many cases, they may even sacrifice their own happiness to help others get ahead.
Advocates feeling stressed or anxious in a competitive environment don’t have to let go of their cooperativeness. But it’s okay to revel in personal success at times too. People with this personality type don’t always have to feel responsible for helping others get ahead – especially if it’s leading to stress and burnout.
Social Injustice
Advocates are one of the first personality types to say that the political is personal. People with this personality type feel deeply moved by others’ suffering. A debate on a social issue or a news story about a war can rock them to the core. That might be why 60% of Advocates say the news affects them negatively, compared to the average of 42%.
Advocates aren’t the only personality type to become stressed by social issues and injustices. But given the combination of their Feeling and Judging traits, they’re one of only a few who feel compelled to spring into action when something seems unfair. Advocates want to make a positive difference in the world. When they can’t, or if their attempts at taking action don’t go according to plan, they might feel frustrated and stressed.
Feeling upset by social injustice is likely a tendency that most Advocates don’t want to lose. It makes them who they are, and it keeps them on track with their personal principles. But trying to single-handedly save the world is stressful for anyone, regardless of their personality type. Advocates must take time to relax and recharge, allowing themselves an occasional break from tending to society’s issues.
Unpredictability
With their Judging trait, Advocates thrive when they can make plans in advance. Going with the flow is not their strong suit. Unsurprisingly, they can get stressed out by uncertainty and a lack of organization, and they’re the most likely personality type to say they feel really anxious in unpredictable situations. This feeling is especially common among Turbulent Advocates, given their sensitivity to stress.
Whether they have a Turbulent or Assertive Identity, many Advocates have at least some perfectionistic tendencies. This perfectionism can make unpredictable situations even harder – it’s as if they have to go back to the drawing board when faced with an unexpected situation to decide how best to respond. Acting spontaneously and in ways that aren’t well thought-out only adds to the stress for Advocate personalities.
Using their closely held principles, people with this personality type want to make a positive impact in any given situation. But this can feel harder to do when things are unplanned. Still, not everything can be predicted, and wise Advocates know that a little chaos is just part of life. Trusting themselves to take the best course of action, even on a whim, is an invaluable skill. Remember, we can only do the best that we can with the resources and information that we have at that moment, and that’s okay.
Conclusion: Caring without Crumbling
Advocates’ propensity to live by their principles is a noble quality. But holding themselves to such high standards can create a lot of stress. And too much unchecked stress can lead to burnout for people with this personality type.
Becoming aware of common stress triggers is one of the best ways to stop overwhelm in its tracks. It’s crucial for Advocate personalities to remember that spreading themselves too thin or trying to meet perfectionistic ideals may only get in the way of the strengths that set them apart.
Further Reading
- Dive deeper into how your personality type deals with stress in our “Handling Stress” survey.
- Threat, Stress, and Panic: Your Personality Traits Are Key to Handling Crisis
- Why Last-Minute Changes Stress These Personality Types Out
- “I Don’t Want to Hear It”: Compassion Fatigue and Feeling Personality Types
- How to Take a Mental Health Day for Your Personality Type