If you're skipping vacation time, lack a sense of purpose at work or can't find work-life balance, the solution might be as easy as asking this one-word question: "Help?" LinkedIn recently surveyed 1,000 working adults on their workplace challenges. Managing workloads and finding workplace balance topped the list of daily struggles, with more than a third reporting those hurdles. But surprisingly, nearly the same share of people reported being afraid to ask for help. In fact, 60 percent of those surveyed regretted not asking for help when they needed it. Not asking for help is common in the workplace, says Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Leah Weiss. People can struggle to cope with any number of stresses, from issues at home to overwhelming work demands. "We're simply not communicating these problems," Weiss tells CNBC Make It.





Some workers, according to the survey, feared wasting people's time. More than 40 percent of Gen Z workers held this hesitation, compared to just 28 percent of the survey takers as a whole. Other workers felt they needed to prove their worth by solving a problem alone. In this case, Gen Z workers were nearly twice as likely to have this fear. "Many people are afraid that if they let on that they can't keep up with a set of demands," says Weiss, "it's going to undermine their credibility."



Reasons workers are scared to ask for help Reason Percent They don't want to waste anyone's time 28% They feel they must prove their worth by solving a problem on their own 32% They're afraid that asking for help will make others think they're not qualified for their job 24%



Weiss warns that by holding everything in, people will "drive themselves into the ground." "If you don't ask for help and you're in an untenable situation, you're going to ultimately find yourself underperforming or finding yourself in a health issue," she says and points to the many side-effects of being too stressed, such as high blood pressure, anxiety and even chronic infections. Those who ask for help should realize that most people are happy to lend a hand. In fact, some studies say we greatly underestimate how willing people are to respond to a direct request. And those worried about how they'll be perceived can stop fretting. Research finds that people who ask for help don't just look smarter, they make their advice giver feel smart as well.

