How to Tackle Stress in Your Organization

Written by Marie Miguel

Work can be stressful for employers and employees alike. Your organization can do much better if you have low-stress employees, but that is easier said than done. However, there are some things that you can do to improve the wellbeing of your workers and in the workplace.

Stay Flexible

Flexibility is important. Of course, you want your employees to work and be productive. However, you do not want to push them too hard. The workplace should not feel like a prison. Not only that, but if possible, you should judge your workers by their work that they complete, not by the number of hours that they contribute during the week.

You want to be flexible enough to allow your employees to have good personal lives as well. They need to be able to enjoy their free time and take care of their families. Play time is important and can even be therapeutic. Check out this article to learn more about play therapy.

You may even want to allow some of your employees to work remotely when possible. This can go a long way towards reducing stress. They will not have to make the commute and may feel more comfortable in their home office.

Positive Work Environment

Employees that are happy are also likely to be more productive, so it is in your best interest to improve the wellbeing of the people throughout your organization. Plan out the workplace so it can be good for mood and productivity.

Taking the time to ensure that your employees have sufficient coffee and water that tastes good can go a long way. You can also try to provide snacks for your employees during the day. The colour scheme should be positive and plants around the office can actually reduce stress levels.

Encourage Healthy Living

It is important that you encourage your employees to live healthy lifestyles. Sure, their personal life is their choice as long as it does not affect their work life, but a healthy lifestyle can go a long way towards reducing stress.

You can provide gym memberships to your employees or even have a mindfulness meditation class in the office once a month. You may also want to make sure that there is hand sanitizer to keep everyone healthy.

A good way to encourage health is to make a contest out of it. Try to see who can walk the most steps during a week or month and provide the winner with a gift card or other small prize. You can also have a mental health day once a month to let your employees know that you care. You can also make sure that every employee has access to mental health care and counselling.

Employee Recognition

Employees may feel like you do not even notice their work or even that they exist. Strive to recognize employees for a job well done. You should also be sure to send out birthday emails or cards to every employee every year. Just these little things can help them feel like they are valued and important to the success of your organization.

Peaceful Breaks

It is important that you provide a quiet, peaceful area for break times. This ensures that your employees will actually be able to relax and destress during their daily breaks. You can also monitor your employees and make sure that they are taking the breaks that they should be. Sometimes employees will be stressed and continue to work because they have a lot of work to do. However, a break can help to reduce that stress and make them more productive when they return to work.

Growth Opportunity

Employees can sometimes feel like they are stuck in a dead-end job if you do not provide them with signs of growth in their position. Make sure that your employees feel like their career is going somewhere. This means raises and promotions should be common for employees who are productive. You do not want your employees to feel stagnant because that can cause stress and other negative feelings.

Final Thoughts on Reducing Employee Stress

Reducing the stress of your workers begins with you. Try to promote a positive environment built around teamwork and growth. Make sure that you encourage exercise with your employees and provide resources for mental health. Do things that make your employees feel valued and, maybe most importantly, be flexible for them and their personal needs.

About the author

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.