Stress at work is a major issue, so much so that 11.3 million working days where reported to be lost due to stress throughout 2013-2014*. Businesses are advised to look into the work-related circumstances that may stress their workload if they want to retain talent and increase performance. The good news is that there are simple steps that can be taken to support individuals relax and reduce stress.
But firstly, what is stress?
A simple definition used by the Confederation of British Industry is “stress is that which arises when the pressures placed upon an individual exceed the perceived capacity of that individual to cope”.
To summarise, stress can be seen as an adverse physical reaction to a perceived situation.
Workplace Stress:
Stress can hit anyone at any level of the business and recent research shows that work related stress is widespread and is not confined to particular sectors, jobs or industries. That is why a population-wide approach is necessary to tackle it.
HSE has developed the Management Standards approach to tackling work related stress; these Standards represent a set of conditions that, if present, reflect a high level of health, well-being and organisational performance. This approach helps those who have key roles in promoting organisational and individual health and well-being to develop systems to prevent illness resulting from stress.
Additional tips to help employees relax and reduce stress:
- Eat – healthily and schedule lunchtime breaks. Try to also avoid drinking too much caffeine
- Exercise – it can help release some of the fight or flight responses
- Prioritise – your workload. Differentiate with what must be done, what should be done and what you would like to get done. Don’t be afraid to share and delegate your work
- Sleep – allow time to rest and sleep, a rested individual is much better at coping with pressure
- Seek – be aware of what causes you stress and seek support if required
- C&C Consulting is here to help with any advice you may need when managing and eliminating issues relating to stress in the workplace. Give our consultancy expert Matt St John a call on 01525 851752.
*Figures obtained from HSE.
