It is natural to feel stress from time to time. But there is a limit to how much stress employees should feel surrounding their job.
The last thing you want is for employees to burn themselves out trying to work normally while feeling a huge sense of pressure that they aren’t addressing as this will only lead to further problems.
Stress can cause long-term absence, burnout and other physical and mental health issues if not treated and addressed.
Here are some useful tips for you to manage stress in a working environment for your employees and yourself too!
Prioritise mental health
Mental health issues are unfortunately still taboo in many places but by facing this common problem, you will reduce the impact it can have on your employees and work environment greatly.
By making sure you and your employees are well-versed and open to discussing mental health, you are being proactive when it comes to potential issues that could be seen in the future.
Employers who take time to address any concerns and promote an open culture when it comes to stress and mental health issues will be able to spot issues quickly and recognise when something is not right.
Some signs of mental health issues within the workplace include a decline in performance, increased time at work, increased emotional reactions to issues e.g. crying, lashing out and withdrawal from work so arriving late, taking unusual time off etc.
Communication
By making it clear that you are always around to have a quick chat about anything or listen to any concerns, your employees will feel that they are in a good environment and have the ability to talk about any difficulties they are facing.
Having good communication skills as an employer is vital as this is how you will create that perfect balance of a trustworthy business and also a safe working environment for all employees.
Consider circumstances
The past two years and more have been a completely unprecedented and stressful time for everyone and it has been a wake up call to how quickly things can change and how unstable certain parts of life are!
Many employees may be feeling the effects of this at work so it is important to consider these things and any other potential reasons that may cause your staff stress.
By talking about the changing situation over the past two years and making it clear that you are understanding, you will be offering employees that extra bit of support when its needed.
Additionally, many employees may be feeling financial stress at this time, with the cost of living crisis only growing.
So this is another thing to consider when it comes to personal circumstances and how you can offer support and communication around this.
By actively introducing or continuing to develop your understanding of stress in the workplace, you can hope to deal with it better and spot the signs faster.
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