Stress is a frequently used word and we often hear it mentioned in the context of the work environment. According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of workers in the U.S. suffer from work-related stress. With such a high percentage of the population experiencing this, stress should be a focal point for companies to ensure the health of their employees.
Stress can be difficult to manage and can lead to unhappy employees, a bad work environment and even necessary sick leave.
Read more about stress management here!
According to Minetum and Harvard Business Review, there are multiple ways to make work less stressful for employees:
1. Start by creating a work environment that decreases stress.
When employees find themselves in a stressful situation, they enter fight-or-flight mode. This means that they feel threatened and are unable to focus on long term work. If we stay in this mode for a long time we get burned out. To avoid a situation like this, a stable work environment needs to be built. This can include reasonable deadlines, clear expectations, and a calm workspace.
If you need help building this kind of company culture Minetum offers a unique opportunity called Lean training, which focuses on management organizational development, streamlining, communication and feedback.
2. Psychological safety
This will help employees feel unthreatened, which leads to better collaboration and work environment. The most important aspects of this are:
- Encouraging employees to speak up at meetings makes them feel valued and heard.
- Set clear goals for your employees and making sure that your expectations are obvious.
- Develop a challenging but unthreatening work environment.
- Make sure that employees feel comfortable at work and that they know it’s okay to fail.
3. Don’t forget break times
A short break can help employees mentally disengage from work tasks. This is necessary to stay productive and efficient throughout the day. Your employees simply can’t focus on a task for more than 90-120 minutes, so breaks are crucial for productivity. You can even send out calendar reminders to employees and encourage them to take breaks.
4. Create an adaptable work environment
Giving employees flexibility, based on their varying needs, can help them accomplish work tasks. Some employees might struggle with work-life balance and may need different arrangements to overcome this challenge.
5. Mindfulness
Mindfulness can be beneficial in many aspects of life and can be used to overcome stress as well. It can help employees create peace while preventing stress and enhancing work performance.
6. Help employees see the big picture
Employees are likely feeling stressed because they don’t see the big picture. Make sure employees can see the connection of their work to both short- and long-term company goals. This will help employees become more productive and motivated.
7. Instill a sense of purpose
It is meaningful for employees to connect the impact of their work to the real world. Show employees how their work impacts the company and society. This is a motivation factor that decreases the feeling of stagnant work and makes it more engaging for the employees. As stress can be very harmful to employees and the workplace, leaders must take proactive steps to create healthier work environments, as this leads to growth within your business and more engaged employees.
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