How to Stay Sane During Performance Review Period
Posted on March 22, 2025 by Tatiana Serikova, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Performance reviews are stressful. Here’s how to stay grounded, reduce anxiety, and make the most of your review—without losing your mind.
After the holidays comes that time of year—performance review season. At least in some companies. Depending on where you are in your career and your company’s approach to reviews, you might feel a mix of emotions: hopeful, confident, anxious, jealous, insecure, angry—or all of them at once. Yes, this assumes you’re the one being reviewed, as most of us are.
It’s normal to feel the full spectrum of emotions—after all, performance reviews are about your work and its perceived value. But what happens when the stress of the process starts to impact your productivity, personal life, or confidence? Luckily, there are ways to navigate this period with a little more ease:
1. Take control
Define your personal goals for the review. Do you want specific feedback? Showcase your value? Explore new opportunities, or even change projects? This is your chance to highlight your contributions in a setup where they have to listen. Use this time to clarify your future with the company and ask the uncomfortable but important questions, like:
· What are the next steps that you can take in this company?
Not sure what you want? Pay attention to what triggers feelings like envy—it often reveals what is it what you want.
2. Release control
Some things are simply out of your hands: your manager’s mood, market changes, or the company’s decision to downsize or grow (unless you’re the CEO). Focus on mitigating what you can control. For example:
· If there’s been a conflict at work, ask for additional feedback from a neutral party.
But beyond that, let it go. Don’t gift them your inner peace before they actually demand it.
3. Reduce uncertainty
For many it’s uncertainty that fuels anxiety. If this is your case – look for information that can give you clarity:
· Understand the assessment criteria, review structure, and feedback content.
· Schedule feedback sessions throughout the year so you’re not blindsided.
· Take the initiative: book a room you like for the review and pick a seat that feels comfortable. Small things can make a big difference.
If preparation helps ease your mind, do so.
4. Give yourself space
It’s normal to be nervous—no one enjoys being judged. Feeling anxious doesn’t make you unprofessional; it makes you human. If the pressure becomes overwhelming, refocus on the best-case scenario: What if the review goes well? Do you have a plan for that?
During the meeting itself, give yourself mental space. You don’t have to react immediately to every comment. Take your time to process.
5. Focus on the future
Focus on where you want to be and behaviors that will move you there.
· If they compliment your client relationships, dig deeper: “What specific event and actions stood out, and how can I scale it?”
· If they say you need to improve communication, ask for specifics: “What does better communication look like to you?”
Focus on behaviors, not vague impressions.
6. Remember: you are more than your job
No performance review can fully reflect your worth or experience. Companies work with imperfect data, flawed processes, biases, and uncertainty, all while prioritizing their interests—not yours. Do not let them define, who you are.
Again, nothing mentioned here is groundbreaking, and still performance reviews continue causing stress. Of course, experience will vary depending on your company culture and career stage. These tips are adaptable, so use what resonates most with you or ignore completely.
What would you add there?
