Stress in the workplace is a common problem that can be identified in organizations regardless of their type. These findings detail that stress costs can be manifested in poor wellbeing, lower morale, high truancy rates, and deteriorating health. Stress is therefore essential to be managed for personal health improvement since long-term stress impacts health negatively.
Statistically, 6 out of 10 employees report heightened workplace stress, in major global economies.
Further, workplace stress management increases productivity, maintains a healthy environment for work, and increases organizational effectiveness of the employees. To eliminate negative impacts of workplace stress, organizations can intervene to enhance the health of clients while boosting the productivity of their entities.
Here are the expert insights on Stress Management Techniques to deal with stress in the workplace.
1. Practice Time Management
Reducing the level of stress that people working in organizations is highly dependent on the ability to manage time.
Begin by making a list of tasks that must be achieved, their order of priority, and their deadlines. Avoid setting a very tight schedule that would stress the leaders. Stress Management therapy can help in identifying and managing these stressors. Some people are overwhelmed with large tasks because they feel they cannot accomplish such tasks but dividing them into smaller tasks makes the large task less demanding.
Plan your day, week, and month by using the calendars, planners, as well as “to-do” lists that are provided in organizational forms. Such tools assist in depicting workload, mapping work in adequate sequence, and time management so that adequate time is devoted to the work, thus enabling researchers to work in a well-planned manner, which can help mitigate stress in the workplace.
2. Foster a Supportive Work Environment
Strategies for managing workplace stress include developing a stress-friendly culture at the workplace to improve the organization’s productivity.
It is therefore important to cultivate good relationships with colleagues and bosses; this requires communication, as this forms the basis of any organization.
The creation of a support group from fellow workers, along with access to online therapy services, offers the employees emotional and professional support, to be in a better position to handle any arising problem, and feel like they belong to something.
Exercising team-building initiatives is an appropriate way of ensuring that people have good working relations and that there is unity in working as a team, thereby reducing stress in the workplace. Such activities may include informal social events to the more formal business training sessions with the main purpose of improving their relations.
3. Incorporate Physical Activity
Introducing physical activities at the workplace leads to a decrease in the level of stress.
In addition to releasing physical pressure and mitigating stress in the workplace, including a break to stretch or to walk around the office increases activity of the mind, thus increasing productivity as well. It is advised to join organizational activities like wellness programs or take up group exercises like yoga, aerobics, or any other exercise workout.
Such activities do not only have a beneficial impact on the health of the employees but also help in increasing the interpersonal relationship between them. It creates camaraderie in the workplace.
Exercise increases the level of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators, and assists in achieving a balanced state of mind. It also enhances vitality and concentration, thus enabling one to combat work-related tasks when the mind is free of any interferences. Incorporation of physical exercise, along with mental health therapy for unhappy professionals, is a preventive measure in promoting a healthy workplace.
4. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
People should participate in mindfulness meditation or deep breathing to reduce stress since it is dangerous. These include techniques that are centered on being attentive to the ongoing activities and avoiding worrying about the next tasks or the previous errors made. The exercises in breathing reduce tension in the nervous system and thus regulate the pulse rate.
Leaving the work area for a while during the day or staring out the window may prevent one from getting burned out and help one keep one focused. These stands can involve walking around, stretching, or even sitting for a few minutes and doing nothing else. Additionally, online counseling services can provide support and strategies to improve mental well-being.
5. Seek Professional Support When Needed
It is significant to know when stress in the workplace is constantly becoming too much for one to handle to protect one’s mental health. Some of the signs one needs to be cautious of include continuous anxiety, irritability, fatigue or concentration mechanism. Sometimes such signs are felt and while they are being experienced, it is important to seek help from professionals.
Work stress management is guaranteed through employee assistance programs (EAPs)/ counseling services meant to provide support and materials. After this, there is an opportunity to gain access to licensed counselors of Virtual Peace of Mind, for coping mechanisms, stress management, mental health treatment services, and support.
