5 Ways To Reduce Work Stress

Have you ever had a day at work when your mind was somewhere else and you couldn’t focus? It might have had something to do with stress, or maybe even stress at work itself. Stress is a normal part of work and life, but too much of it can have dire effects on team morale and productivity. As a business leader, how can you de-stress your employees’ lives so they perform at their very best? We have a few ideas.

Long-term exposure to work-related stressors like these can affect mental health. Research links burnout with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In some cases, this sets the stage for serious mental health problems. Indeed, one study shows younger people who routinely face heavy workloads and extreme time pressure on the job are more likely to experience major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

* Encourage Open Communication

The statistics are true: most employees’ workplace stress comes from their bosses. In fact, research has linked employees having a negative relationship with their boss to behaviors such as sleep problems, anxiety, high blood pressure, and even heart attack risk.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that way. Management classes that tackle leadership development or personal coaching like Reboot can give your team and your managers the tools to work with employees in a positive and constructive way.

* Offer Mental and Physical Health Benefits

If your employees are feeling profound effects of stress, it’s likely that their mental and physical health will suffer as well. Providing a safety net to address those problems will help the overall health of your employees and of your organization.

According to a study conducted by Justworks, 41% of small- to medium-sized employers provide their employees access to benefits. Although offering access to a benefits package can feel expensive at first, it has plenty of returns.

* Bring in Meditation Classes

What better way to help your employees relax than to bring the relaxation to them?

According to an article by the Harvard Business Review, many CEOs are taking up meditation and finding ways to bring it to their employees, because they’ve seen the immediate benefits.

* Offer Paid Time Off

Nothing busts stress like getting away from the office and having some fun. No matter the size of your company, try to make it a priority to offer employees paid time off (PTO) so that they can relax, rejuvenate, and come back better than ever.

Unfortunately, nearly 42% of Americans don’t take vacation days. But doing so improves mental health, heart health, and even relationships. Whether you decide to offer two weeks or an unlimited policy, track time off and encourage employees to take that time off if they haven’t done so yet.

* Encourage Employees to Take Breaks

As Jason Schreier wrote in The New York Times, workplace cultures that encourage non-stop work have damaging effects on their employees. He outlined a phenomenon called “crunching”, where video game developers work as many as 20 hours a day for days or weeks on end. If your employees are overloaded and continually sacrificing their leisure time to get stuff out the door, it might be time to reconsider their workload such as hiring more employees, or changing expectations.