Do Blog

9 things you can Do for stress at work

These are the 9 things that psychologists know can positively help to reduce stress for individuals in the workplace.

November 1st 2016 by ant

Psychologist have identified 9 things that can help to combat stress. So here they are: 9 things you could do to help your people to enjoy a less stressed working life.

  1. Staying active

Just getting moving can get the endorphins fired up (otherwise known as the “feel good” chemicals) and help people feel better about just about everything. Yes it takes a little more time out of an already busy life, but encouraging staff to get off the bus a stop earlier, use the stairs instead of the lift, take a walk around the block at lunchtime can all have a beneficial effect.

  1. Building stronger networks

We are basically social beings. It’s in our DNA. Our relationships build a sense of who we are, which can be an important part of reducing stress. Building stronger networks is about spending more quality time with the people who matter to us. The emphasis is very much on quality.

This might not sound like a  ‘work area’,  but recent research from the CIPD in the UK shows that 95% of people who are suffering with mental health issues say it affects their performance at work. If you can help them to reduce stress by encouraging social behaviours, that’s good for them and good for you.

Simple steps to encourage might include:

  • Sit down to a meal with your partner at a table tonight with all the electronics off
  • Find five minutes to really engage with your children
  • Ring a parent or sibling without doing anything else at the same time
  • Take time to meet someone at work instead of just sending an email

  1. Helping others

Generosity makes us healthier. When we do something good for another person, the release of endorphins brings about a “helper’s high” and helps fight stress. Research has proven that having a generous attitude greatly improves our immune system. Promoting company volunteering schemes with the reinforcement of personal wellbeing is a win-win-win scenario for everyone involved.

  1. Building broader networks

Sometimes we just need some fresh perspective. Broadening networks, particularly with people from different backgrounds or cultures, can be really good for us. Indeed our own research in a business programme run with over 1000 employees in 45 countries shows us that ‘Inclusive’ people’ are about 4 times more likely to have higher wellbeing compared to ‘non-inclusive people.

So what could you encourage in your workplace?

  • Ask people to proactively build relationships with work colleagues from different backgrounds
  • Encourage people to join social clubs around a personal hobby or interest perhaps?

You could promote Meetups as a free way for your people to connect with like-minded people in their area.

“Stressed people rarely have time for themselves.”

  1. Taking care of ourselves

Stressed people rarely have enough time for themselves. But that just makes the stress worse. What stressed people need is permission to do something for themselves. This is a positive role an employer can play, but often the major barrier is the person themselves, not the company. Launching a “Look after me” campaign with a buddy scheme would be a good start: employees help one another to find something just for them.

  1. Connecting with nature

A Stanford-led study has found quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression. And depression is often closely linked to stress. So encouraging employees to get out at lunchtime, or organising walks for the weekend or just sharing the important role that nature can play in a healthy work life will all help.

“If you know someone who is a good listener,
buy them a cup of coffee”

  1. Emotional sharing with others

When we’re stressed, many of us bottle everything up. And that’s not good for us. Indeed, a study in the US by Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Rochester shows that the risk of premature death from all causes increases by about 35 per cent among those who fail to regularly share how they feel. Something as simple as a ‘Share a coffee’ campaign or ‘Take a colleague for a walk’  (that’s at least two stress busters in one right there) could make a real difference for some people.

  1. Positive thinking

With stress it’s very easy to get into a spiral of negativity. “I didn’t do that well enough.” “I’m always late.” “Everyone’s better at this than me.” This is called the brain’s “negativity bias“: Your brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news. The bias is so automatic that it can be detected at the earliest stage of the brain’s information processing. If you can help your people to cast this negative voice aside, they will have a much better chance of getting on top of things. For example, you can encourage your team to write down three positive things from the day.  Make that a habit and you may find your people feel a lot more positive (and less stressed).

  1. Relaxation

It’s so easy to say ‘relax’, but when you’re wound up it’s incredibly hard to do. So help your people to start with one small step. You could encourage access to Mindfulness meditation. Relaxation videos. Laughing yoga.

So lots of ideas, but what will you actually Do for your people?

An easy way to introduce all of the concepts you have read about above and drive real action is to offer your people our online Wellbeing Collection, which features programmes that have been created on the stress-busting principles above.

These scaleable programmes including our Do Stress Less programme can help anything from 20 to 20,000 people to tackle stress and other stress-related work issues like resilience, with personally tailored prompts delivered to their phones, tablets or PCs.

And our own research encapsulated in the White Paper shows that they have a remarkable record in combating stress.