Excessive stress can have an impact on productivity and physical and emotional health, although some level of stress is expected in the workplace. The difference between success and failure can depend on your capacity to manage stress.
Although you may not have complete control over every aspect of your work environment, this does not imply that you are without power, especially in challenging circumstances. Coping with work-related stress does not necessitate drastic alterations or questioning your career aspirations, but instead directs attention towards the one constant under your authority: yourself.
1. Encourage open communication
According to accurate statistics, the primary cause of workplace stress for the majority of employees is their bosses. Scientific studies have even connected employees’ adverse relationship with their supervisor to various behaviors such as sleep disturbances, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, and even an increased risk of heart attack.
You don’t have to accept the current situation. By enrolling in management courses such as leadership development or personal coaching like Reboot, you can equip your team and managers with the necessary skills to effectively engage with employees in a positive and constructive manner.
You have the option to extend the training to your entire company. Organizations like LifeLabs provide a variety of courses, such as emotional regulation, delivering challenging feedback, and conflict management. These courses enhance employees’ communication skills and increase their awareness of stress levels and stress triggers.
When your team becomes more self-aware of their behavior, they will be better prepared to handle interpersonal challenges that arise.
2. Offer mental and physical health benefits
If your employees are experiencing significant stress, it is probable that both their mental and physical health will be negatively impacted. Offering support to tackle these issues will benefit the overall well-being of your employees and your organization.
A study conducted by Justworks revealed that 41% of small- to medium-sized employers grant their employees access to benefits. Despite the initial perception of high costs, providing access to a benefits package brings numerous advantages. Employees who have access to health insurance demonstrate improved performance and increased loyalty to the company.
3. Offer paid time off
Taking a methodical approach, consider rephrasing the text below without altering the meaning, adding new information, or removing any information. Giving your employees the opportunity to take paid time off (PTO) is essential regardless of the company’s size. It allows them to unwind, recharge, and return to work even more productive, which is a great stress-reliever compared to anything else.
Regrettably, Americans have a tendency to not utilize a sufficient number of vacation days. According to a survey, workers from the United States took less time off in 2022 compared to any other country. However, taking vacation days can have positive effects on mental health, heart health, and relationships. Whether your policy offers two weeks or unlimited vacation days, it is important to keep track of employees’ time off and encourage them to utilize it if they have not already done so.
4. Encourage employees to take breaks
According to The New York Times article by Jason Schreier, workplaces that promote continuous work have a negative impact on their workers. Schreier explains a phenomenon called “crunching” in which video game developers work excessively long hours, sometimes up to 20 hours per day, persistently for days or even weeks.
One designer, Clint Hocking, experienced memory loss due to the stress and anxiety of working extensively on a game. Similarly, Brett Douville, an experienced game programmer, shared that he had worked incredibly long hours and under immense pressure, resulting in a temporary inability to exit his car.
If your employees are constantly overloaded and consistently giving up their free time to meet deadlines, it could be advisable to reassess their workload, recruit additional staff, or revise expectations.
Employees will return to the office with reduced stress levels and increased productivity if they are encouraged to take breaks throughout the day.
5. Take the team out on company offsites
If you genuinely desire to provide your employees with a break, consider taking them to an enjoyable location to alleviate workplace stress and foster camaraderie. The options are vast, ranging from visiting a vineyard, socializing at a nearby pub, attending a baseball game, or indulging in a picnic at the park.
The chosen activity is not significant; what truly matters is the enthusiasm to engage in a fun activity together, which serves as a means to alleviate work-related stress. Engaging in such activities not only aids in reducing stress in the workplace but also facilitates the development of personal connections among employees, enhancing collaboration and teamwork.
6. Reduce stress at work by taking care of yourself
If work stress starts to impact your job performance, personal life, or overall health, it is essential to take action. To start, prioritize your physical and emotional well-being. By addressing your own needs, you will build resilience and be better prepared to handle work-related stress without becoming overwhelmed.
You don’t need to completely change your lifestyle to take care of yourself. Even minor actions can improve your mood, enhance your energy, and give you a sense of control. By taking one step at a time and incorporating positive changes into your daily routine, you’ll gradually experience a decrease in stress levels, both in your personal life and professional environment.
7. Get moving
Regular exercise, even if it may be the last thing you want to do, is an effective method to lessen stress. Engaging in aerobic exercise, which is an activity that elevates your heart rate and causes perspiration, is a highly efficient way to enhance your mood, boost your energy, improve concentration, and unwind both your body and mind.
To maximize stress reduction, aim to engage in at least 30 minutes of intense physical activity on most days. If it’s more convenient for your schedule, you can break up the activity into two or three shorter sessions.
8. Make food choices that keep you going
Low blood sugar can result in feelings of anxiety and irritability, whereas consuming excessive amounts can lead to a state of lethargy. A nutritious diet has the potential to aid in coping with demanding work days. Consistently eating smaller meals can assist in regulating your blood sugar levels, sustaining your energy levels, enhancing concentration, and preventing fluctuations in mood.
9. Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid nicotine
When consumed, alcohol has the temporary effect of lessening anxiety and concern, however excessive intake may actually result in anxiety once the effects wear off. Engaging in drinking as a means to alleviate work-related stress can eventually result in alcohol abuse and dependency. Similarly, smoking can induce a sensation of calmness during periods of stress and feeling overwhelmed, yet nicotine, being a strong stimulant, ultimately leads to heightened levels of anxiety rather than reducing them.
10. Enough sleep
Insomnia can be caused by stress and worry, and lack of sleep can also increase vulnerability to more stress. Maintaining emotional balance is crucial for dealing with stress at both work and home, and being well rested makes it easier. To achieve better sleep quality, it is recommended to follow a sleep plan and aim for eight hours of sleep each night.
11. Learn to recognize hidden stress
Even if you work in a profession with a more stressful environment, you have the potential to maintain a strong sense of self-control and self-assurance by comprehending and implementing emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to the skill of effectively and positively handling and utilizing one’s emotions.
In terms of work satisfaction and achievements, emotional intelligence is just as important as intellectual capability. Emotional intelligence involves interacting with others in a manner that attracts them to you, resolves conflicts, heals emotional wounds, and alleviates tension and stress.
Emotional intelligence in the workplace
The main components of emotional intelligence in the workplace can be defined as four.
- Self-awareness: The ability to recognize your emotions and their effects while using gut instinct as a guide to your decisions.
- Self-management: the ability to control your emotions and behavior and to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Social awareness: The ability to feel, understand and respond to the emotions of others and to feel socially comfortable.
- Relationship management: The ability to inspire, influence and connect with others and manage conflicts.
The five key skills of emotional intelligence
To enhance your emotional intelligence and effectively handle workplace stress, it is essential to master five key skills.
- Recognize when you are stressed, recognize your particular stress response and become familiar with sensory cues that can quickly calm you down and provide you with energy. The best way to quickly relieve stress is through the senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. However, everyone reacts differently to sensory impressions, so you need to find things that are calming for you.
- Stay in touch with your inner emotional experience so that you can appropriately control your own emotions. Your current emotions influence your thoughts and actions, so pay attention to your feelings and consider them in your decision-making at work. If you ignore your emotions, you will not be able to fully understand your own motivations and needs or communicate effectively with others.
- Recognize and use non-verbal cues and body language. In many cases, what we say is less important than the way we say it or the other non-verbal signals we send out, such as eye contact, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, gestures, and touch. Your non-verbal messages can either evoke a sense of interest, trust, and desire for connection – or they can cause confusion, mistrust, and stress. You must also be able to read and respond to the non-verbal cues that other people send you at work.
- Develop the ability to respond to challenges with humor. There is no better stress reliever than hearty laughter, and nothing reduces stress in the workplace faster than shared humor. But, when laughter comes at the expense of others, you may end up with more, rather than less, stress.
- Resolving conflicts in a positive manner. Solving conflicts in a healthy, constructive way can build trust between people and reduce stress and tension in the workplace. If you are coping with emotionally charged situations, focus on the present by ignoring old wounds and resentments, connecting with your emotions, and hearing both the words and the non-verbal cues used. If a conflict cannot be resolved, decide to end the dispute even if you do not yet agree.
