Stress and anxiety at work have become increasingly common, especially in large cities. Social media isn’t just filled with viral videos and GRWM (Growth, Worry, and Mood) trends; psychologists, mental health experts, and even human resources experts like Rafael Alonso have also gained significant prominence. This professional, who is also a content creator, asserts that “People who are efficient at work experience significantly more stress.” According to Alonso, this is because the best performers tend to be those whom managers trust most and therefore assign heavier workloads. Those who lack trust are the ones who won’t be given the job.
“Psychologically, leaders prioritize people who work very hard and can get the job done, and above all, people they can trust”
The situation is almost entirely self-explanatory. In almost any situation, we’ll always want the best worker, the most efficient person, by our side; we won’t want the lazy one or the one we consider mediocre. “Psychologically, leaders prioritize people who work very hard and can get the job done, and above all, people they can trust. If you think someone is going to mess things up, you don’t give them a job,” says the social media expert. Something he himself describes as unfair. This situation often leads to these people ending up shouldering a large part of the overall workload, the work with responsibilities, and ultimately experiencing exhaustion, stress, and work-related anxiety.
This pattern creates a vicious cycle where good performance translates into more work, but not necessarily more recognition
Alonso explains that managers prefer to keep the employee who does everything perfectly over everyone else, which leads to burnout, as mentioned above. This paradox highlights that those who work the hardest don’t always get the best conditions. Often, the most efficient workers end up taking on extra tasks. This pattern creates a vicious cycle where good performance translates into more work, but not necessarily more recognition or financial compensation. According to Alonso, these are the ones who suffer the most, earning the same as those who “don’t lift a finger, get paid the same, and have no responsibilities” in the company.
The most responsible employees tend to take on tasks that aren’t their responsibility, driven by a sense of duty or a desire to maintain their good reputation. “The people who don’t complain, who work harder, and who achieve results are the ones who suffer the most in the entire company,” explains Alonso, pointing out that the problem isn’t doing the job well, but rather the lack of boundaries. Meanwhile, colleagues with lower performance enjoy less pressure and, paradoxically, the same salary.
Everything takes its toll at the end of the day
These kinds of situations further emphasize the importance of learning to say no. The balance between responsibility and personal well-being not only protects the mental health of employees but also contributes to creating fairer, more sustainable, and more humane work environments. As the human resources expert points out, everything takes its toll at the end of the day. The direct consequence of this imbalance is that companies lose their best employees, since it’s common for people who experience these situations to end up leaving their jobs.
Protecting mental health is becoming a priority for many workers, and seeing no signs of change in certain situations, they prefer to safeguard their mental well-being and move to an environment where their work is valued. “If you want to preserve your mental health, what I would do is set boundaries. That is, it would be like asking to be paid according to your responsibilities and even your workload. And if they don’t comply, then someone else should do the work they expect you to do,” Alonso explained, offering one of the possible solutions to these situations.
