Got Stress? Four Practical Guidelines for Relief
Are you or your employees feeling stressed and worried? It is likely that the three top causes of such stress are money, work, and the economy. These are the top causative issues for stress in America according to the Stress in America Survey conducted annually by the American Psychological Association. The symptoms of this stress are experienced by many Americans as irritability or anger (42%); fatigue (37%); and lack of interest, motivation, or energy (35%). So, financial and job-related issues are very worrisome for managers and employees, and we have a workforce that is feeling fairly edgy and sometimes hampered in areas that are crucial to productivity and achievement: energy level, motivation, and interest!
So one of your challenges, if you are a leader or manager, is considering ways to help your team members manage their stress so they can focus, tap into their talents productively, and work together as a team without undue conflict or tension. Unfortunately, there is no secret formula to make stress go away, but we can effectively manage it. Some practical guidelines for stress management that you can suggest and foster as a leader, manager, or supervisor include:
- Encourage and implement healthy workplace strategies and programs, such as: exercise, good nutrition, and appropriate attention to health issues.
- Encourage people to pause, take a break, and recharge their mental batteries when they feel stuck or overwhelmed with a task or project. Trust me, a brief period of R&R can do wonders!
- Let your team know that you appreciate their efforts and tenacity and you want to help them be successful—emotional support from a manager, as well as from peers, has a buffering effect on stress.
- Stay alert for signs that stress is negatively impacting employees so they either address this with their managers or pursue focused healthy stress and anger management strategies and techniques.
Some additional sources for stress management techniques and programs can be found in The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook. And remember, if you are feeling stressed, you are certainly not alone, and recognizing the symptoms of stress is the first step in managing it in a healthy way.
Thanks,
