How To Avoid Stress On The Job – Burnout is a serious problem—and it’s only gotten worse in the face of COVID-19. A recent survey by FlexJobs and Mental Health America found that 75 percent of workers have experienced burnout at some point in their careers — with 40 percent experiencing burnout during the pandemic.
But why is burnout such a problem? What risks does this pose to your team – and your business? And how can you, as a business owner, help your employees avoid burnout?
How To Avoid Stress On The Job
First things first – before we dive into how to help your employees avoid burnout, let’s quickly define what exactly burnout is.
How To Handle Stress At Work
Employee burnout is a type of workplace stress. The World Health Organization defines burnout as “an occupational phenomenon…resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” So basically, when employees feel chronically stressed at work—and have no effective way to manage or relieve that stress—they are at risk of burnout.
Burnout occurs when employees feel chronically stressed and overwhelmed at work. This stress and overload can come from a variety of sources including:
For example, let’s say you have an employee who has a habit of completing projects quickly. But recently, since they’ve started taking on more project work, you’ve noticed that their productivity has plummeted—and now they’re taking three times as long to get to a project. This decrease in productivity (especially if it is coupled with an increase in work or job responsibilities) can be a clear sign of burnout.
As a leader, if you want to help your employees avoid workplace burnout, you need to be able to recognize the warning signs that your employee is feeling stressed and overwhelmed—and nip them in the bud before they develop into full-blown burnout.
How To Keep Stress At Work In Check
It’s clear that burnout can take a serious toll on your employees—but it can also take a serious toll on your business.
It’s clear that helping your employees avoid burnout is an absolute must – both for the well-being of your employees and the well-being of your organization.
Preventing burnout isn’t just your employees’ responsibility—as a business owner, it’s also your job to help your team avoid burnout. And now that you know exactly how to support your team, you can fight burnout in your organization—and watch your team (and business!) thrive. It’s probably no surprise that American workers are stressed and plagued by anxiety. . Long hours, rising costs of living, pressures of consumerism and the constant overlap of work and life are just some of the culprits. But while stress and anxiety at work are inevitable in adulthood, the ways you deal with them can make a huge difference in the quality of your life. It is crucial for employers and HR departments to help reduce anxiety and stress in the workplace.
A little stress and anxiety at work must be expected. It becomes a problem when it interferes with work performance or interferes with the employee’s personal life. It’s one thing to worry about an approaching deadline, it’s another to be unable to stop thinking about it long after the work day is over. America is the most troubled nation in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that 31 percent of people in the country will experience symptoms of an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.[1]
Ways To Reduce Work Stress
Although statistics on workplace anxiety are inherently flawed because they rely on self-reporting, numbers from a survey by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America offer some insight:[2]
Unfortunately, your workers are unlikely to be aware of the stress or anxiety they are experiencing at work. Many employees fear the consequences of not doing their assigned work and pulling their weight. No one wants to be seen as weak or potentially jeopardize any chance of a promotion or raise. So instead of being honest about the pressure they feel, many may turn to drugs, alcohol, overeating, or any number of other unhealthy practices to reduce stress and anxiety.
Needless to say, these unhealthy coping mechanisms are unlikely to translate into improved job performance. If anything, these types of strategies will make the situation worse. At worst, anxiety in the workplace can sometimes lead to internal conflicts among employees. To help your employees reduce anxiety and stress in the workplace, we’ve listed 10 possible remedies.
1. Exercise regularly: It is fairly well known that exercise significantly improves symptoms of anxiety and all mental health disorders. Exercise releases endorphins, which naturally improve a person’s mood.[3]
Tips To Prevent Employee Burnout
2. Get more sleep: Stress can make it difficult for a person to sleep, and lack of sleep can make a person more vulnerable to stress. Breaking this cycle is essential for the well-being of your employees. Reducing coffee intake in the afternoon can be helpful in achieving this goal, as can regular exercise.
3. Eat healthier: Research has shown that a person’s diet will affect their mental state. Processed foods and sugary snacks are linked to depression, anxiety and the development of many other mental illnesses.[4]
4. Leave work at work: Before the age of 24/7 home connectivity usually meant going home – not going home to continue working. Thanks to the Internet, home can become an extension of work. While working from home may sometimes be necessary to meet deadlines, it robs workers of the mental break they need.
5. Set realistic goals: Your employees have limits on what they can accomplish in a standard workday or workweek. Many overwork themselves to achieve unrealistic goals. Realize what your employees can realistically achieve in a given time frame.
How To Avoid Burnout At Work
6. Make work fun: It may seem like the opposite of productivity, but breaking up the monotony of work with a staff lunch or even some games/competitions could relieve the stress of work. When work is fun, there is less stress.
7. Take mental breaks: A few 10-15 minute breaks each day will help your employees reset their brains and recharge. Encourage your workers to take small breaks throughout the day.
8. Talk about it: If employees can openly discuss work-related difficulties they’re having, it may be just what the doctor ordered. Implementing an open door policy and encouraging your workers to be honest about the pressures they feel will help reduce anxiety, stress and other feelings of mental distress.
9. Find a work-life balance: All work and no play is not healthy for anyone. But with the pressure to succeed in our consumer-driven society, it can be easy for a person to neglect their personal life in favor of succeeding at work. It is important for employees to find a healthy balance between work and home.
Easy And Simple Tips To Reduce Stress At Work
10. Meditation: Although workers probably can’t meditate on the job, just a few minutes of meditation each day has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.[5]
The quality of your employees’ work is a direct reflection of your business. Missed deadlines, errors, and a general decrease in performance probably won’t interest your clients. This is why it is important for employers and HR managers to be aware of the mental state of their employees and design/implement strategies to help reduce stress and anxiety in the workplace.
At TPG HR Services USA, we are experts in employee relations and communications. We’ve helped dozens of companies keep their employees on their toes and create mutually beneficial strategies to maximize productivity and minimize problems. We’d love to help you do the same. Call us today at 732-917-6000 to learn more.
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