6 Techniques for Reducing Workplace Stress

Workplace stress is a pervasive issue with serious health consequences. This article shares six powerful techniques to reduce and manage work-related stress. From refreshing the office environment to fostering wellness and offering flexible work options, these strategies enhance employee well-being. Social outings build camaraderie, while designated break times provide crucial relaxation. Importantly, managers can set an example by prioritizing their mental health. While eliminating stress entirely may be impossible, implementing these techniques can significantly reduce workplace stress and boost employee satisfaction and productivity.
stress reduction

It seems like everywhere we look these days, we hear about the dangers of workplace stress. Studies show that chronic stress can significantly impact your health, increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, and depression. Yet despite all this information, many employees remain bombardment by work-life stress daily. This article will cover six techniques for reducing and managing work-related stress.

Causes of Stress in the Workplace

The World Health Organization declared stress to be an epidemic. The causes of stress in the workplace may seem pretty obvious to any working professional. Lack of job security, miscommunication, and being overworked are some of the most common sources of stress for workers. Workplace stress drags down satisfaction and can decrease productivity. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the workplace stress epidemic, there are ways to make the office more relaxed and enjoyable. Before instituting any of these techniques, it is important first to ask your employees what would benefit them. This way, you can personalize any programs or techniques you use to the needs of your employees.

1. Refresh Your Office Environment

The average worker spends around 90,000 hours working during their lifetime. Dull colors, too-bright lights, and a lack of fun can cause the office to feel monotonous and slow. If it is within your budget, give your office an update. This can be anything from putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls to changing out the color of the lightbulbs you use. Small changes can make a big difference for your employees. An office refresh can help employees feel reinvigorated and more productive.

2. Get Off-Campus

Planning office outings to grab a drink after work or visit a local attraction on the weekends can be a great way to build camaraderie in the workplace. As employees spend more time together and get to know each other, work-life relationships will become easier. These social activities can break down stressful communication barriers and improve teamwork across the office. Additionally, taking the time to get out of the office and not talk about work can be a great stress reliever for employees.

3. Offer Flexible Work Hours

Even with a friendly, refreshed environment, the office can feel like a prison cell to some employees. If it is within reason for your company, offering flexible work hours and locations can be a great way to relieve some stress from employees. Flexible work situations can improve worker productivity and allow them to take mental breaks when needed. Even if offering flexible hours or working from home is not possible for your business, you could try offering flexible seating in the office to allow employees to switch up their routines.

4. Encourage Wellness

It is no secret that chronic stress can hurt one’s physical health. Stress can cause high blood pressure, migraines, and gastrointestinal problems. Encouraging mental and physical health and wellness can have a significant impact on stress levels in the office. Exercise releases stress-relieving endorphins which not only take the mind away from stress but can also improve one’s mood long-term. Encourage employees to take walks during the work day. If it is within your business’s budget, subsidizing gym memberships is a great way to encourage employees to care for their physical health.

5. Create Designated Break Times or Places

Sometimes, all someone needs is a quiet space to get away from their normal workspace to gather their thoughts. Designated quiet spaces or times can help employees have time to reorganize their thoughts and relax. Additionally, having a day during the week or even just part of a day where no meetings can be scheduled builds this quiet time into their day-to-day schedules.

6. Managers Set an Example

If managers are overworking themselves and taking on too much, chances are their employees will as well. As a manager, it is essential to set an example of how to care for your mental health in the office.

It is impossible to eliminate stress in the workplace completely, but you can reduce it. Try out one of these tips this week and see how it affects the stress levels in your workplace!

How Can We Help?

Work Health Solutions offers comprehensive healthcare solutions for your medical needs. Our qualified team treats patients and employers alike and always provides top-quality service. Our quality service is backed by years of experience working with academic and research institutions, corporate healthcare, Fortune 25 companies, small governments, and local businesses. Reach out today with any questions about how we can assist you!

Work Health Solutions

Work Health Solutions

About Us

Work Health Solutions is dedicated to preserving a safe work environment and improving existing programs and care for local, regional and national organizations.

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Dr. Glen Cheng

A physician-attorney with a dedication to healthcare innovation, informatics, and digital health.

  • Currently spearheads employee health protection and promotion within the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System.
  • Trained in residency at Harvard, achieving board certification as a physician; also a licensed patent attorney with experience as FDA regulatory counsel.
  • Co-founded Acceleromics, a consulting firm providing clinical and regulatory guidance to digital health startups.

Erin Davis

 Chief Clinical Officer at Work Health Solutions, certified in Adult-Gerontology (AGNP-C) and Athletic Training (ATC).

  • Oversees clinical operations and ensures high clinical standards across the company’s national field staff.
  • Former Manager of Clinic Operations and Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner at Stanford University Occupational Health Center (SUOHC).
  • Specialized in treating occupational injuries and illnesses, and provided medical surveillance and travel medicine consults at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Lab.
  • Dedicated to sports and occupational injury treatment and prevention.
  • Assistant Clinical Faculty at UCSF, mentoring students in clinical rotations within the Adult Gerontology and Occupational and Environmental Health Program.
  • Holds leadership roles as Treasurer and President Elect of the California El Camino Real Association of Occupational Health Nurses (CECRAOHN), affiliated with the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN).

Dr. Robert Goldsmith

Founder and President of NBS Healthcare Group, with a focus on innovation in healthcare consulting.

  • Previous role as Executive Director for Employee Health at Novartis Services, Inc., leading health services and clinical support.
  • Instrumental in creating an integrated healthcare system at Novartis.
  • Former private practice in internal medicine in Stamford, Connecticut, and Medical Director consultant for GTE Corporation.
  • Transitioned to GE as a Global Medical Director in 2000.
  • Holds a medical degree from Albert Einstein College, an MPH from the University of Connecticut, and completed training at Greenwich Hospital and Yale-New Haven Medical Center.
  • Assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the Vagelos School of Medicine, Columbia University.
  • Serves as a team physician for high school athletes in Stamford.
  • Published works on occupational health risks, primary prevention, and exercise-induced asthma.