Stress in the workplace? Our Tips on Handling It

Tina works in the Marketing department at BITT Solutions and has been with the company for almost five years. Nothing brings Tina more joy than pitching her business to potential clients and closing business deals for the company. However, Tina’s work-life balance experienced a huge hit in the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her schedule was upset by the global instability and her work-life balance suffered as a result. As her workload increased, her drive and enthusiasm decreased and as the pressure intensified, it took all within her power not to drag her hair from its roots out of frustration. Tina began to lose sleep, poring over how much work she had left to do. Her mood suffered greatly as with other activities in her life. Anxiety waltzed in uninvited and depression slowly built up until Tina began to contemplate quitting her job. But then the reality of adulthood and bills hit her in the face. This awareness further compounded her feelings, leaving her overwhelmed by this added stressor.

Have you ever been in Tina’s shoes as an employee? Or as an employer, have you observed similar patterns in one or more of your employees?

Well, Tina is suffering from work-related stress and you just might be too!

In listing out workplace pandemics, work-related stress would definitely take first place judging by the number of people affected worldwide. Stress is a rapidly growing problem affecting millions of people all over the world.

Worldwide statistics show that;

About 33% of people report feeling extreme stress. 77% of people experience stress that affects their physical health. 73% of people have stress that impacts their mental health. 48% of people have trouble sleeping because of stress.

Every human is different with how they respond or react to workplace stressors and what one individual may perceive as challenging may be a walk in the park to another. However, every workplace surely has demands and it is likely that employees may feel pressured to meet up to certain expectation and may burn out as a result.

The probability of an employee experiencing work-related stress is dependent on external factors like the type and demands of the job; and internal factors such as their health status, personal experiences, past trauma amongst others.

Generally, work-related stress is tied to the inability to complete work tasks, trying to juggle personal and work life, lack of job security, trouble dealing with people, lack of support, excessive demand or expectations at work, tight deadlines, substandard working environment, lack of adequate work resources, Harassment or unfair treatment, or trauma from past experiences. However, the common stress trigger is the inability to cope with extreme pressures at work or meet up workplace demands.

The symptoms of work-related stress can be expressed physically, psychologically, or through behavioural changes which can often make it hard to diagnose or detect. However, professionals have listed some of the common signs associated with work-related stress;

Physical signs of stress include;

Headaches, Muscle tension, Fatigue, Heart problems, Insomnia or sleeping difficulty, Gastrointestinal disorders, Dermatological/ skin disorders.

Psychological symptoms most commonly include;

Depression and anxiety. Others may include irritability (mostly in men), Pessimistic, overwhelmed, inability to concentrate, or feelings of discouragement.

And Behavioural signs often take the form of;

Frequent absence and call-in for sick days, aggressive behavior towards other employees, lack of enthusiasm at work, reduced participation and performance at work, mood swings, inability to maintain good interpersonal relationships, lack of interest in activities.

The lives of many employees have been negatively altered by this daunting issue and over time – with increase in the number of cases – organizations begin to suffer a hit as well, experiencing a decline in productivity as a result.

We have put together a few helpful pointers for both employers and employees that can be used to alleviate stress in the workplace.

Handling work-related stress as an employee

As an employee suffering from work-related stress, you can handle the situation by;

• Prioritizing your health and well-being. Pause, breathe and reflect on the changes you need to make both in your life and at work to lower your stress bar. Eat healthily, exercise regularly, and try not to trade sleep for work.
• Communicating your concerns and challenges with your employer or HR manager.
• Making organization a must. Employees who fail to schedule their work usually battle confusion triggered by disorganization. This often results in them feeling overwhelmed. Outlining tasks in order of importance, urgency, or difficulty makes your work as an employee easier.
• Dedicating a few hours in a week to relax and rest.
• Being open about how you’re feeling. Sharing whatever work difficulties you’re facing with people you trust and can rely on for support helps as opposed to bottling it up which can disrupt your stress levels. Talk with loved ones or seek out support from professional counselors or psychologists.
• Reflecting on the stressors and triggers. If your employer or colleagues are largely responsible and there happens to be no improvement after making all the above-listed changes, consider seeking out a new job with a better working environment or system.

How to Handle Stress in the Workplace as an Employer

A large part of work-related stress is linked with poor management and this is the responsibility of employers or HR managers.

Employers need to regard stress in the workplace as a critical health and safety issue and treat it as such. We have outlined certain steps that you can take as an employer to alleviate stress and secure a more conducive working environment or condition for your employees;

Promote Workplace Health

In many organizations, workplace health plans play a huge role in cutting down healthcare costs, reducing the number of employees absent from work, increasing productivity, improving culture, and boosting employee enthusiasm.

As an employer, you can look out for your employees by encouraging them to care for their health, promoting healthy eating and exercising. You can provide healthy snacks at the office or organize a wellness program at the workplace.

Make Changes to the Work Environment

The environment an employee is in can trigger or add to their stress. A demanding job should be met with a lively fun workspace. A few organizations have hacked this setup and have reaped its benefits.

Simple acts such as redecorating the workspace, changing the colours of the walls, adding plants and aesthetic paintings, renovating the office space when necessary or any other activity that can boost employee performance can go a long way in reducing stress in the workplace.

Introduce Social Activities

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. We’ve heard this countless times but the message behind the statement will forever remain evergreen! Even in the workplace, all work and no social activities will certainly impact employee morale. There is a high chance employees will be bored by the monotonous routine of work, work, work and can burnout as a result.

Introducing social or team-building activities like retreats, end-of-the-year parties, friendly competitions, or other social events can help boost interpersonal relationship between the employees and strengthen the bond among them.

Allow Flexibility in the Workplace

To reduce stress in the workplace, it is important to avoid enforcing a rigid system. Encourage flexibility and open communication amongst all players in the organization. Employees should be allowed to voice out their opinions and concerns at work and be rest assured that they’d be addressed and worked on.

Also, be flexible enough to make necessary changes as the situation demands. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the virtual workplace. Organizations were left with little choice but to adapt to this new unconventional system.

Being flexible as an employer would be a valuable skill to have as it would help you navigate difficult situations as well as help you manage employees with little to no conflict or tension.

Provide Counselling Opportunities

While you can implement all the above-listed in the workplace, it is likely that it does little to alleviate stress. This can be due to personal reasons and can only be sorted out by the employee.

However, providing counseling opportunities or health insurance plans that include counseling services can go a long way in helping employees deal with work-related stress.

Lastly, remember to put these ideas into practice; and remember, the best strategies start with the leaders example.