Good day Dr Maymunah, I am a business executive, how can I make my employees work with less stress and yet be very productive?
Rotimi, Lagos.
Good day Rotimi, while some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with an employee’s productivity and performance, impact their physical and emotional health and can even affect their relationship and family life.
When is stress too much?
Stress is not always bad. A little bit of stress can help people stay focus and energetic. It helps to keep you on your toes and helps you to avoid accident and some mistakes.
Long hours, tight deadlines, and ever increasing demand can leave an employee feeling worried, drained and overwhelmed. And when stress exceeds your ability to cope, it stops being useful and start causing damage to your mind, body as well as to your job satisfaction.
The common causes of stress at workplace include the following:
Fear of being laid off.
More overtime due to staff cutbacks.
Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no job satisfaction.
Pressure to work at optimum level all the time.
Lack of control over how the work is done.
Warning signs that your employees may be having excessive stress at work place include using alcohol, social withdrawal, muscle tension or headaches.
Other warning signs are having trouble concentrating, fatigue, apathy, loss of interest at work and having problems sleeping.
Tips on how to reduce workplace stress include:
Reaching out
Sometimes the best way to reduce stress is simply by sharing it with a close relative or friend. The act of talking it out and getting support and sympathy can be very effective in blowing off the steam.
The person doesn’t need to fix the problem, they just need to listen. Your employees can be encouraged and advised to practice this act. They can do this with trusted colleagues at work and/or with family members.
Exercises and nutrition
Doing Aerobic exercises is an effective way to lift your mood, increase energy, sharpen focus and relax both the mind and the body. For maximum stress relief, try to work out for a minimum of 30mins, walking, running or dancing.
When stress is mounting at work, take a quick break and move away from the stressful situation. Take a stroll outside the workplace if possible. Physical movement can help to regain balance.
Eat smart, small quantity and more frequently is better than eating very heavy or not eating at all. Minimize sugar and refined carbohydrates. Avoid nicotine, drink alcohol in moderation if it must be taken at all.
Don’t skip on sleep
You may feel like that you don’t have enough time to get adequate sleep at night but not getting enough sleep at night affects your productivity, creativity, ability to focus and problem solving skill during the day.
Sleep for at least 8hours per day. Turn off TV and smart phones before bed time. Listening to soft music with low light helps to aid relaxation.
Prioritize and organize
When stress at workplace threatens to overwhelm you, time management is important. Leave early in the morning and get to your place of work about 15 minutes before time, plan regular break, establish healthy boundaries. Don’t over commit yourself.
Prioritize your tasks and do the more important and time sensitive tasks first. Break projects into small steps. Delegate responsibility, trust your co-workers, don’t insist on doing everything all by yourself. Be willing to compromise.
Bad habits that contribute to stress
Resist perfectionism.
Avoid negative thoughts.
Don’t try to control the uncontrollable
Look for humour in situations
Clean up your act.
Be proactive about your work.
Clarify job description.
Request transfer if possible.
Ways managers/employers can help reduce stress at work place
Communicate with your employees. Define employee’s role, responsibilities and goal. Talk to them about the specific factors that make their job stressful. Give workers opportunities to be part of decision making.
They can also clarify your expectations. Deal with workplace conflicts positively. Praise good work performance verbally. Respect dignity of each employee. Show that individual worker is appreciated and valued. Schedule stressful periods followed by periods of fewer tight deadlines.