How to reduce stress at work – National Stress Awareness Day

Is your inbox overflowing? Is your calendar crammed? And is your to-do list growing longer and longer? We’ve all been there. Work can be stressful with project deadlines, meetings, travel and so on.

Workplace stress is of course bad for your team’s health and well-being. But it’s also bad for your business as it leads to poor performance, lack of focus, and absence. In fact, it’s thought that mental health problems including stress at work cost the UK economy £34.9bn in 2021.

So what as a business can you do to help reduce workplace stress? November 2nd 2022 is National Stress Awareness Day and so we’re taking a look at some top tips to help keep your employees as stress-free as possible.

What is National Stress Awareness Day?

The first Wednesday in November each year is National Stress Awareness Day. The event is an opportunity for companies and employees to reflect on workplace stress and explore the options for managing it better. It was created to raise awareness about stress and to provide information to companies and employees to help reduce its effects.

It’s perfectly normal to get stressed out by work, relationships, money or just life in general. But at some point in the last year, 74% of us have felt so stressed that we have felt unable to cope. Stress not only affects mental health but also physical and overall health.

Interestingly, a small amount of stress can actually be useful. It can motivate people to take action and complete tasks. It can also make people feel alive and energised. But when we get too stressed, it causes problems.

What can we do to minimise stress at work?

As a business, you have a responsibility towards your teams’ health and well-being so here are just a few tips to minimise stress.

Improve your office environment

Think about your office space and if you can make it a healthier and happier environment to work in. It’s a simple thing, but working in a mess or chaos can impact stress levels.

Simple office perks like having a good quality coffee machine, fresh, filtered sparkling water and a kitchen stocked with healthy snacks can help to improve working conditions. You may also want to redesign some elements of the space by removing cubicles, adding lots of plants and creating some wide open and bright spaces that encourage creativity and a sense of calm.

Encourage workplace wellness

Teams feel valued if they believe you’re looking out for their health. There are some easy wellness initiatives you can introduce that are really helpful.

Firstly, encourage your team to take regular breaks. Breaks can help to reduce stress and increase focus when people feel rested and refreshed. You could also consider subsidising a gym membership or encouraging people to walk or cycle to work. Even introduce gentle exercise sessions, like yoga or pilates during lunch hours. Exercise is a well-known stress buster.

Allow for flexibility

Show your employees you trust in their ability to do their jobs well and in a timely manner wherever and whenever that is. People don’t like to be watched and micromanaged so clearly communicate with your employees that their job is defined by the quality and timeliness of their work, not when or where they get it done.

If it’s possible, allowing your employees to work remotely if they need to and offering some flexibility with start and end times can be good for office morale.

Contact us

If you’re looking as introducing office perks such as quality coffee and snacks to your office, we can help. Just give us a call on 020 7553 7900.