How to navigate an end-of-year performance review with minimal stress

The end of 2025 is near and for many of us, that means performance reviews at work.

According to a survey of 1,200 US-based workers, many say appraisals cause anxiety and stress. One third described their most recent review as a box-ticking exercise, while only 29% said they trusted their organisation’s evaluation process.

“Performance reviews are akin, emotionally and mentally, to a school report,” says Life Coach Directory member Jenny Holliday. “That can be hugely triggering for many if not the majority of people. Enter into that mix feelings of concern over pay rises, promotion or even redundancy, and the stress levels can peak.”

In a world where we often communicate on Teams or Slack, a face-to-face meeting about your “performance” can suddenly feel very formal and intimidating. It’s also human nature to focus on the negatives, making it easy to overlook what you’ve achieved and worry about what might be flagged as “could do better”.

Certain types of appraisals, like 360-degree reviews which involve gathering feedback from various workers and managers, can trigger more stress. In a LiveCareer survey of 1,000 US workers, 79% said they would opt out of 360-degree reviews entirely if given the choice. Half (48%) said 360-degree reviews amplified office politics and were affected by personal grudges, while 74% said the feedback they received felt unfair and inaccurate.

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Despite this, performance reviews are unavoidable, with three out of four employees going through the process once a year. So why do these annual meetings cause us so much stress, and what can we do to make them a bit less anxiety-inducing?

Preparation is key before a performance review. Many people go into the meeting without considering potential answers or questions, which can leave you on the back foot.

“It may help to treat the process like an interview,” says Holliday. “Imagine what questions you might be asked, and how you’d respond to them. What are your goals and how can you articulate that, if you are asked?

“If promotion is a dealbreaker for you in the coming year, have that as a focus, both in the pre-review answers you give, if you have that option, or while in the meeting itself.”

Additionally, make notes to take in with you about the key things you want to cover. “Think laterally – it’s not just about the ‘work tasks’ you’ve done but also where you’ve contributed in either volunteering, with other departments or at company events,” says Holliday.

Conducting an honest self-assessment before you go into your review can help you feel more prepared. Preparing a list of achievements and things to improve on can help you think more clearly about your performance when stress is clouding your mind.

To do this, set aside half an hour to reflect on your work over the past year. Write down the projects you contributed to, the skills you developed and any challenges you faced and overcame. It’s a good idea to be specific and include metrics, examples and feedback you received. This will not only give you clarity, but also provide concrete talking points during your review.

Research by Kickresume found that 32% of workers wish they could tell their managers they deserve more recognition. “Many people also don’t feel able to be totally honest in their self-reviews, whether it’s holding back about their relationship with management (36%) or hiding the painful truth that they’re just hanging on (20%),” says Peter Duris, CEO and co-founder of Kickresume.

“Our research suggests that companies could benefit from making sure their employees feel comfortable reaching out for support, as many appear to be struggling silently.”

Finding out the process for the appraisal can also help to reduce anxiety. You could ask your manager what steps are involved, how your performance will be evaluated and what you should prepare ahead of time.

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“You could ask your manager for an agenda for the review, even if it’s some bullet points of what they intend to cover,” says Holliday.

Before your meeting, it can be helpful to set clear personal goals for the year ahead. Not only does this show initiative and self-awareness, but it also ensures you’re focused on the areas that matter most to you.

You could try using the SMART criteria – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Think about what you need to achieve these goals, for example, additional support from your manager or training, and why they’re important to you.

Finally, asking for regular meetings about any performance or work-related concerns throughout the year can make annual reviews less intimidating. About a third of workers (34%) say they receive feedback often, 39% say they sometimes receive feedback, and 27% say they rarely or never do.

Keeping the conversation going over the year can mean fewer surprises and helps everyone stay on the same page.

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