How to Help Employees Manage Workplace Stress

Scroll down to read more!

How to Help Employees Manage Workplace Stress

Scroll down to read more!

Table of Contents

For years, workplace stress has felt so normal that I do not truly realize how stressed I am until I step away from my work. We live in a time where there’s an expectation that everything will be done NOW, companies have consolidated jobs and workers are trying to manage an unreasonable number of competing priorities. A stressed out worker is often an ineffective worker. Here are some tips for helping the people on your team manage their workplace stress.

Recognize when your employees are stressed

Knowing when your staff are stressed out is the first step. Set up regular check-in meetings with your staff if you haven’t previously. Use these sessions to discuss the employee’s current projects and determine whether they require any more assistance or support. This is crucial if you are in charge of a group of employees that spend a lot of time working independently. If you don’t frequently check in to see how they are doing, your independent workers can be working themselves into fatigue without you ever recognizing it.

Prioritizing activities and breaking down projects into smaller manageable chunks should be your first priorities if you observe that a worker is struggling to manage stress. You can also act as that person’s champion and step in when other team members are pressuring your staff to complete a task quickly. My last employer was really skilled at this. She would inquire what we were working on and begin crossing items off our lists when she noticed that one of us was feeling so overwhelmed that we were on the verge of crawling under our desks and curled up in the fetal position. She would take over when we didn’t delegate. She would also act as a champion and speak up when others made unreasonable demands of us, like hiring five more people in a matter of days.

You can also remind employees to take their breaks away from their desks. Rather than using the time to step away from work for a bit, an employee taking a break at their workstation is more likely to answer a question from someone who pops into their office or pick up the phone when it rings.

Provide regular positive feedback

Be careful not to become the type of manager that only offers feedback when things go wrong. Encourage staff members by providing lots of good feedback, especially after they’ve completed a challenging endeavor. Although it is not entirely possible to prevent workplace stress, providing supportive feedback can go a long way toward letting an employee know that their time and effort were well spent. Spending a lot of time on a project only to receive no recognition or gratitude at the end can be demoralizing.

Offer opportunities for regular social engagement in addition to encouraging input. Give your colleagues a lunch to show them how much you appreciate them, bring in coffee and donuts in the morning, or organize an ice cream party in the office. Give workers little breaks like these so they can unwind and refrain from discussing work. Have fun and laugh. These work wonders for de-stressing.

Create a wellness program

Providing outlets for physical fitness can be a good way to let some of the stress of the workday go. As I have mentioned in previous posts, a wellness program need not be elaborate. Allowing employees to set personal fitness goals, setting up a lunchtime walking group and providing discount gym memberships are all easy things to include in a basic wellness program. A 15-minute walk can be a good way to relieve stress and burn some calories at the same time.

If you notice that an employee is having a difficult time managing stress and perhaps is dealing with additional stress from their personal life, it may be time to help them find professional assistance. If you have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), this can be a good resource for finding counseling and support groups. A life coach or a therapist can give the employee some tools for managing stress.

Encourage employees to take time off

Most importantly, we all need time off to refresh and recharge. I have written before about the importance of a work-life balance, which is something I think we often neglect even though it is so important to our mental wellbeing. Encourage your employees to take time off, so they can get away from all the stress of the modern workplace, and tell them to avoid checking work email and voicemail. Doing so is good for your employees and therefore good for business.

Did you like this post? Share it!

One Comment

  1. I have to agree with Shelbie and Cosette taking daily walks duirng my lunch break has really helped me de-stress at work and has been an easy tip for me to stick with duirng the work week. Before adding these lunchtime walks to my work routine, I usually took my lunch at my desk in front of the computer (which really wasn’t a break at all). I’m blessed to work on a beautiful college campus, these daily walks give me a chance to get out of my office and take it all in! I’ve also added more motivational quotes and some feel-good decor to my desk stress spots (computer/phone) to help me remember to stay positive and take deep breaths when work gets hectic these tips are also helping me stay more relaxed & positive at work.

Comments are closed.

A Word From Our Sponsors

Ads help make Workology resources free for everyone. We respect your privacy. To see our Privacy Policy click here.

Recommended Posts

27 Companies Who Hire Adults With Autism

List of companies who hire and employ adults who are neurodiverse. ...
Workology’s Learning Portal Gets a Major Upgrade

Workology’s Learning Portal Gets a Major Upgrade

After months of building and testing, our new learning portal is ready! Ace the HR Exam students now have access to more resources than...
SPHRi vs GPHR: Choosing the Right HR Certification for You

SPHRi vs GPHR: Choosing the Right HR Certification for You

Picture this: you’re at a crossroads in your human resources career, standing between two significant certifications – the SPHRi and GPHR. Which way do...

The Costs of Form I-9 Software

In the intricate landscape of U.S. employment eligibility verification, businesses face the challenge of remaining vigilant and compliant. As their workforce expands, the manual...

Episode 415: Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the Clean Energy Sector With Dr. Janell Hills

In this episode, we interview Dr. Janell Hills from IREC about developing registered apprenticeship programs in the clean energy sector....

Checkout Our Products

Ads help make Workology resources free for everyone. We respect your privacy. To see our Privacy Policy click here.

More From Workology

Episode 415: Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the Clean Energy Sector With Dr. Janell Hills

In this episode, we interview Dr. Janell Hills from IREC about developing registered apprenticeship programs in the clean energy sector.

27 Companies Who Hire Adults With Autism

List of companies who hire and employ adults who are neurodiverse.

The Costs of Form I-9 Software

Click on read more to open this post on our blog.
SPHRi vs GPHR: Choosing the Right HR Certification for You

SPHRi vs GPHR: Choosing the Right HR Certification for You

Click on read more to open this post on our blog.