5 Ways to Reduce Stress In The Workplace
Tasks aren’t getting done, your employees are lacking motivation, and you feel as though the pulse in the office is flatlining… the culprit? STRESS.
Let’s be honest, it’s been a stressful last couple of years… there have been so many changes happening in the world whether that be at work, with kids, politically, or any of the 293102 things that happened in the last two years.
A lot of this stress has translated over to the workplace which is causing a lot of people to feel burnout.
Most of us have forgotten that stress isn’t a permanent state of mind, it isn’t something that has to stick around…instead, it’s something that we can shake off and move on from. We as managers have to remind our employees of this, now more than ever.
So how are you reducing stress in the workplace?
1. Set Goals or Milestones for Team Members
You do not want your employees to feel as though they are a hamster on a hamster wheel. In order for them to feel the progress, to feel the impact that they are having, you need measurables or goals that they can check off and work towards.
ACTION ITEM:
Set deadlines and track the progress weekly. This helps your team stay focused and motivated on the end result.
2. Encourage Mindfulness
Oftentimes, employees day after day end up putting themselves into auto-pilot. They have their daily tasks that they do and that’s it. Make sure your employees are not constantly on auto-pilot. How can you encourage mindfulness? How can you encourage creativity?
ACTION ITEM:
Encourage employees to take breaks throughout the day and schedule time in between meetings.
3. Schedule Events That Help With Company Culture
If you were to describe your company or business culture to someone, how would you describe it?
Now, if you were to translate that description over to events…what would come to mind? In some cases, it may be a laid-back and super casual BBQ or maybe it’s a rooftop private event overlooking the city…
It’s important to find ways to translate your company culture over to events outside of work. This helps build bonds, community, relationships, and trust.
ACTION ITEM:
Plan events that reflect your company’s value and vision. Start small with two events per year and build in additional events.
4. Encourage Employees to Spend Time Outside & Move Their Bodies
This one may seem explanatory, but regardless of if your employees are remote or in-office…we need NEED to encourage time outside. When’s the last time you asked your employees if they spent time outside this week? Are you encouraging employees to take breaks during their day?
ACTION ITEM:
Create a summer challenge at your work. If you have a weekly meeting with your team, tell them that at each meeting you have to talk about something you did outside in the past week.
5. Employee Recognition
It’s important to note that recognition comes in many forms. One employee may really need you to express verbally how they’ve been doing a great job, another employee may need to see their hard work in numbers with metrics, while another may need to feel compensated and valued with their pay. Our point here is that you won’t know until you ask.
ACTION ITEM:
Give public praise during an all-team meeting. Create a #praise channel in your chat/messaging app and encourage everyone to participate.
Even if you aren’t getting signs from your employees that they might be stressed, the summer is the perfect time to start implementing these actionable steps to proactively prevent burnout or stress.
As a leader, it’s important for you to check-in on the pulse of your employees on a consistent basis. You want your employees to be performing at their best, and they won’t be able to do that if they’re stressed. I hope all of these tips help you, especially if you feel as though you may not know where to begin. Trust me when I say your employees will appreciate it!
