When Motivation Turns Into a Burden: How Managers’ Words Affect Your Stress

You have probably heard it at some point in your career. A manager looks at you and says, “I’m counting on you.” It feels motivating at first. It feels like trust. But when the workload mounts up, that same sentence may quietly contribute to stress rather than boosting morale.

How Managerial Reliance May Increase Pressure

By relying too heavily on already over-stretched subordinates, managers use phrases such as “I’m counting on you” with the best of intentions. Psychology Today points out that perfectionistic managers may actually exacerbate pressure rather than boost performance.


It is not the words alone. It is the context in which they are said.

A study on workload done by the Journal of Organizational Behavior (2019) revealed a very strong correlation between how much managers depend on their staff and how stressed out their staff becomes. This is where reassurances seem to become part of an employee’s workload.

A study done by Human Relations (2021) revealed how constant indirect pressures, like constant verbal cues of how much someone trusts an employee, lead to what psychologists call “chronic anticipatory stress,” where people are perpetually on edge and waiting for what comes next.

However, if aspirations exceed the attainable, the disconnect leads to tension. Workers are often caught between the need to perform at the highest level and the inability to do so.

Stress, Anxiety, and the Physical Consequences of Stress

Being burdened by the expectations of the managerial role has mental and physical consequences on the individual. A series of studies by Occupational Health Science reveal that workers who are burdened by high expectations without sufficient support experience headaches, difficulty sleeping, and stomach upsets.

FL Data also highlights that ongoing reliance on managers increases anxiety and risk of burnout. Workers report a persistent fear of falling short, even if the actual workload is achievable with proper support.

In fact, this is supported by a meta-analysis done in Work & Stress, whereby employees who are constantly exposed to verbal reinforcement, coupled with heavy work demands, are likely to experience decreased job satisfaction, work engagement, and turnover intentions.

The line is repeated over and over until it becomes a call-and-response. The to-do list keeps growing, and that balance becomes even farther out of reach. Together, they fuel a quiet cycle of pressure, worry, and eventually, burnout.

When Encouragement Becomes a Burden

High expectations of an employee, combined with encouragement, can actually become a burden. A study conducted in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that “feelings of being out of control are strongly correlated with decreased motivation and productivity.”

Employees start interpreting “I’m counting on you” less as trust and more as an obligation. This misalignment between managerial intent and employee perception undermines morale and can erode trust.

A study revealed that stress impacts our decisions. The European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology found that when an employee is under stress, they tend to commit errors frequently, react slowly, and experience difficulty in solving problems.

The effect is subtle but unmistakable.

The Bigger Picture

Knowing these effects is important. Support and encouragement are important, but they need to be given with an understanding. Workplaces thrive when employees feel supported and encouraged.

Managers can effectively use "I'm counting on you" by matching their words with the workload. It is a delicate balance.

The line between motivation and stress is often the critical factor in how a person feels and how he or she will ultimately perform.Well-being, ultimately, is not a luxury.

And a team that is able to get its work done without being quietly drained by unseen pressures is not a luxury either.