Stress at work is just an addition to the expected tiredness of the work day, many times we are faced with situations that are not under our control. Such problems affect our performance and even our health. With this in mind, many companies have been investing more and more in solutions to help lower the level of stress at work, improving employees’ quality of life and keeping them healthy, motivated and productive.
Some of these companies’ actions typically do not required huge financial investments, and even those that do require the disbursement of larger sums bring excellent results, which offset the investment made.
In today’s post, we will give some tips on what to do to control your activities and manage your team in such a way that it provides every one with a healthier environment, and no stress. Check it out!
1. Offer a comfortable environment
The company may invest in colours and decor to cheer up the environment. This method is used quite a lot by large companies, such as Google, for instance, and it generates great results for the improvement of the organisational environment and a decrease in employee turnover.
When the employee finds a pleasant work environment to spend the day and interacts with co-workers, the work day becomes less stressful and more enjoyable.
2. Create a balanced agenda
As manager, check out the tasks performed by your employees and ensure they are being carried out in a balanced manner. On the other hand, it is important that employees always plan their daily tasks in order to stay on top of things instead of feeling stressed racing against time.
Stress impacts people differently and the reason for this is how one controls problems, how often these difficulties appear, and how conflicts in the workplace are taken to one’s private life.
Therefore, one should seek balance between one’s personal and professional lives, that is, set limits and do not take problems from one to the other, mainly, avoid taking work home – let your professional problems at work.
3. Encourage team work
Working in teams with other colleagues from the office can be a pleasant experience and it encourages healthy relationships among team members. This is one of the most important actions to generate a healthy organisational environment.
Team bonding caused by the interaction of team members also results in an increase in learning, creativity and performance in general.
4. Improve communication
Poor communication is very discouraging for employees and may cause many conflicts within the organisation, such as gossip, resentment and speculation.
So, find out how to best talk to each employee profile, have all roles and responsibilities well defined and communicate through feedback to enable one to assess one’s performance and feel a better sense of job security.
5. Keep a good nutrition level
Do not allow employees to work during lunch time. This is a very important moment for one to rest the mind for a while and to interact with colleagues.
If you pick up the phone to take care of business during your break, talk to the others only about work related matters, and is not able to stop thinking about work obligations, you are a strong candidate to high levels of stress in the workplace and, consequently, in your personal life.
Try to keep a healthy diet and no major gaps between meals, because lack of body balance and a week health may worsen your stress level and trigger a series of other physical and emotional problems.
6. Provide moments of relaxation
A manager does not have to be limited only to work related group activities to encourage interaction between employees and provide for a less stressful work environment.
Actions such as celebrating birthdays on the last Friday of each month, scavenger hunts, volunteer work and motivational talks, for instance, help with every day stress and generate good results on the improvement of team performance and increase a feeling of belonging among the staff.
7. Perform organisational environment surveys
The purpose of organisational environment surveys is to investigate interpersonal relationships and the work environment. The manger needs to perform this survey regularly and act based on the opportunities that arise.
On the other hand, it is essential that one is honest and faces this assessment seriously, because this is the moment one must express one’s dissatisfaction regarding some people management policies as well as praise the good things that must be maintained.
8. Encourage the practice of physical activities to reduce stress at work
Physical activities help lower everyday anxiety and are an excellent partner in the fight against depression. During physical activities, one can meet people, have fun, care for one’s health, take a break from work routine, discover new hobbies, as well as many other benefits that provide well-being and lower stress.
The manager can encourage physical activities in a more relaxed manner, promoting a weight loss competition, or giving away a month’s pass to the gym to an employee for achieving the goals established, for example.
The company can contact organizations that offer free passes to gyms as a way of reducing costs and providing a well-equipped place close to the office for the employee to exercise. These actions will help the company encourage both the practice of physical activities as well as productivity.
Caring for the employee’s health has a direct impact in the reduction of work related stress. People who maintain healthy relationships with others are respected within the company. Because they feel safer as to their situation in the organisation, know how they can improve their performance and are constantly stimulating their bodies through exercises, employees can better cope with frustrations and negative feelings, problems which could lead them feeling burned out and stressed.
Did you like our tips on how to lower the stress level in the workplace?
What do you do to deal with every day stress? Tell us what you do and share tips with us!
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