For many people stress has unfortunately become a constant in daily life. Irrespective of the level of stress a person experiences, stress will impact their work as well their personal life. Both internal work pressure and external personal factors affect an individual’s mental and physical wellbeing. Employers can take 6 steps to assist workers in reducing workplace and personal stresses.
In today’s social media and highly connected society, people are facing an increased variety of personal and professional pressures. The demands of fitting in work and life can take a toll if not managed carefully. Dealing constantly with deadlines, conflicting priorities, customer needs, appointments, etc. can become stressful for some. By assisting your staff to proactively manage workplace stress, you will help improve their job satisfaction as well as their ability to perform tasks at a higher level. An active approach to workplace stress management is a win/win for all involved.
Reducing workplace stress related illness – at ABILITY GROUP we believe businesses should actively take steps to reduce workplace stress. There are numerous ways to achieve this goal and we provide 6 simple free/affordable steps that the majority of businesses can implement quickly:
- Prioritise Work – Check with your workers to make sure they feel comfortable with their priorities. When possible consider if duties/tasks can be shuffled or re-assigned to reduce stress
- Regular Breaks – It’s important to take a little time to decompress and simply breathe. Encourage workers to take their meal breaks. Walking around the building or going out for lunch can do wonders in reducing stress levels by helping workers relax
- Exercise and Nutrition – When the body is in good physical shape, it handles stress much more easily. Encourage your workers to invest in their health via healthy eating and committing to regular exercise
- Laugh – Often business is conducted in professional and somewhat serious manner. An atmosphere that is too rigid however can add to stress levels. Laughing helps lighten everyone’s mood and relax. Sharing a workplace appropriate joke or funny story during work will help workers relieve building pressure or stress
- Express Feelings – One of the best ways to deal with stress is by talking about concerns. Meet with your workers regularly, review work-loads and address any questions the workers may have. Keep an “open-door policy” for questions your workers may not feel comfortable discussing in front of others
- De-stress Tips – Change the induction processes for new workers to include in the De-stress Tips. A workplace environment that actively promotes and encourages stress prevention will
Need help reducing stress in your workplace? Contact us for specialist advice and support.
Source: Victorian Government
Title: Reducing Stress in the workplace – An evidence review: summary report
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