Odds are, you’ve heard the warnings before. Stress is harmful on a variety of levels. Aside from being damaging to your mental health, stress in the workplace can:
- Destroy opportunities for teamwork
- Reduce productivity
- Diminish quality of work
- Harm the physical health of employees
We’re not naïve enough to suggest eliminating all stress from your workplace because some situations are just stressful no matter what you do. It is important, however, to recognize when your workforce is under too much stress and take steps to help employees alleviate that stress.
How can you tell if your employees are stressed out?
There are plenty of ways to gauge the stress level of your employee population. No matter what you use as a measurement tool, keep in mind that the only way to truly tell if your employees are stress is to be in tune with their attitudes at work.
It’s also important to recognize that each of these red flags is just that—a flag. If you start to see some of these concerning signs, take a look at the context, your company culture and what else is happening in your office before making any drastic changes that could potentially cause more stress!
Lots of PTO. This is a sign that your employees might be attempting to escape the stress at the office.
Irritability or moodiness. Many employees get crabby when they feel stressed.
Distracted or non-productive employees. This can be a sign that employees are overwhelmed and can’t give 100% to the projects at hand.
Over-reactions or abnormal behavior. If an employee who is usually calm, cool and collected is suddently acting anxious, it could be a sign of stress.
Negativity. A positive workforce is one that’s functioning smoothly. Negativity is a common sign of stress.
Physical illness. Stress can damage an individual’s immune system leaving them open to illness more often.
Health trends. Biometric screenings are a great way to analyze the physical health of your employees. When trends like high blood pressure are present in aggregate screening results, you might have a stress problem.
How can you alleviate stress at work?
There are a variety of ways to address stress at your workplace. Traditional methods are usually the tried and true way to reduce stress. This can include anything from increased vacation days to flexible work hours to a positive office environment. All of these help to tackle stress issues at work.
There are also trendy, unconventional ways to address stress at work. Consider offering yoga or guided meditative breathing as an option to unwind. Many people are even relieving stress by taking part in a adult coloring. Just like the common childhood practice, adult coloring involves staying inside the lines in adult coloring books full of intricate patterns and pictures. It’s an excellent way to stay in the moment and calm your mind!
Whether you order a shipment of adult coloring books for your office or just loosen up deadlines, it’s important to address a stressed out workforce. Take the time to evaluate the stress level where you work, and offer solutions to alleviate any unnecessary anxiety your employees are feeling.
How do you relieve stress at the office?
