Even if you love your work immensely, we are all exposed to feeling overwhelmed from time to time by what we do. An article by Forbes mentions that most work-related stress is the cause of many illnesses which result in lower productivity and sick leaves from offices.
If you don’t manage the stress properly, your employees may suffer from high levels of stress at work, a syndrome known as Burnout.
To avoid suffering from burnout, office management should make efforts to lessen the stress posed to employees. They organize excursion trips, motivational training, handout stress combating tools like squishy toys, and printed stressballs.
What causes work fatigue?
According to the APA (American Psychological Association), several factors can cause work-related stress, including:
- Low salaries
- Excessive workloads
- Little chance of growth or development
- Challenging job
- Lack of social support
- Not having control over decisions made in the office
- Confusing requests or unclear expectations
Sadly we cannot leave the stress locked between four walls when leaving work. Proof of that is the road chaos that we see in the cities. Not only that, but we also take stress home, we sleep stressed and wake up still stressed.
It is this constant stress that causes physical and emotional weariness.
In the short term:
A constantly stressful environment can cause headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems, irritability, and problems concentrating. These problems reduce the ability to socialize and concentrate on work.
In the long term:
Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and problems with your immune system. It can also be a precursor to discomforts such as depression, obesity, and heart problems.
People who live with stress for long periods can develop unhealthy habits such as overeating, eating unhealthily, smoking impulsively or abusing alcohol or drugs.
Ways your employees can manage work stress
Because work stress is so common, it can be very complicated to find a stress-free job.
Gandhi said: “Be the change you want to see in the world” and start dealing with your employees in a way that will reduce the stress. You can adopt effective strategies to reduce stress in your office.
1. Forget Multitasking
Years ago, multitasking was thought to be a fantastic way to maximize a person’s potential and achieve more during the day. Today, the verdict is that multitasking deteriorates work performance, which makes you finish the day exhausted and without having achieved a lot.
When your employees try performing several actions at the same time, say talking on the phone and calculating taxes. The speed and accuracy with which both are done suffer intensely. The person they are talking to may not feel listened to, and your employee can even mess up the calculations and cause problems.
2. Reduce distractions
Gloria Mark, a researcher at the University of California, investigated with 40 people dedicated to computer technologies (IT) in their workplace for 12 days. She discovered that the more time they spent checking their email, the lower was their productivity in the day and their stress levels increased.
On the other hand, in another study by the same author, conducted in 13 people of the same category (IT) for five days, where they reduced the number of times they checked their emails.
She found that when people did not check their email and did less multitasking. They could keep their attention on tasks for longer periods. Not only that but also the stress recorded through cardiac monitors was much less.
3. Give breaks to recharge their energies
To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress, you need to give time to your employees to refresh their minds and return to their functional levels.
This way, they will be able to manage work stress better and be more productive. This process requires that your employees “disconnect” from work, having periods where they are not doing job-related activities, or thinking about work.
It is vital to disconnect from work stress after some time and take a little break to recharge yourself after finishing a job. Replenish your energy in the way you feel most comfortable, whether taking a dance class, yoga or attending the gym. Leave your phone and your problems in the office where they should be while recharging your mind. Even when you’re at home sitting on the couch, take some time to turn off your phone and focus your attention on activities that are not work-related.
4. Talk to your employees
We can all give orders to our subordinates, but it requires skills to talk to your employees and understanding what is it that is causing them stress. Call them managerial, negotiation or assertive skills; you need to develop them to sit down with your employees to talk about how to achieve the objectives that you ask of them.
Talking with your employees does not mean throwing up a list of nonconformities or things you do not like about the way they work. Discuss aspects that generate stress and are not allowing them to work as per their potential. Maybe you will find out about the things you can improve at your office. Be it the lack of collaboration from other people, asking the resources they need to achieve the goals or even clarify your expectations regarding the work.
5. Generate positive relationships
Create a friendly environment in the office. It is very easy to get friends who are with you to go to parties, but friends who listen to your problems are necessary for stress alleviation.
Many times simply talking about a problem can help you relieve yourself and decrease your stress levels. That’s the reason why having friendships at work is so important.
Organize think tanks and create an ambiance where your employees can talk to each other regarding different office problems. Your leadership should be effective enough that they consider you someone who can guide rather than someone to fear.
6. In house exercises
Even a little goes a long way. Just 15 minutes of good exercise and physical excursion can make your employees fit and fine. They will be productive, and their stress levels will decline. Arrange for a yoga instructor or include the facility of a gym, and you will notice a prominent change in the way your employees work.
Conclusion
We have many reasons to be stressed at work, but using these tips can make the day much more bearable, more productive and less overwhelming. Encourage these behaviors in your office and help your employees manage the stress they’re dealt with.
