Over the past two years, our individual and work stress have increased dramatically. Whether it is carrying a bigger workload, navigating kids and working from home, or a thousand other things, most of us are TIRED. But, life and work go on. And we have to adjust. So how can we do it effectively, to actually lessen our stress and become more productive? Below we have put together three ways you can combat stress in the workplace:
Build in Humor
Humor, especially laughter, is one of the best antidotes to stress. As Kevin Ciccotti illustrates “Humor creates an environment of light-heartedness and provides a sense of perspective that can help dissolve tension and protect us from stress. When we learn to laugh in tough times, it provides us the ability to overcome our challenges…And research suggests that humor leaves us feeling happier and with a higher sense of job satisfaction.” This means that you can find ways to bring humor/laughter into your workspace for better results and happier employees.
Focus on Mental Health
This may seem obvious, but you need to start focusing on mental health to combat stress in the workplace. For you, for your employees, for everyone involved in your business. Build the acceptance and support of mental health into your company culture. What does this look like? Be honest and transparent with your employees. This is especially needed when there is so much uncertainty in our lives. Find ways of supporting people on a more regular basis, and build/focus on personal connections. Try to inspire creativity, despite uncertainties. It will help your employees and your leadership feel more grounded and stable.
Lead with Compassion
Stress is harder to come by when compassion is present in a workplace. As a leader, you need to start by having compassion for yourself. This will let you truly show compassion, allowing you to lead your employees with empathy. Be understanding of the unforeseen circumstances your employees might have that sometimes occurs on a daily basis. Be flexible, with working hours, with time off, etc. Show your employees you care. This will help lower your stress, and your employee stress. Overall a win-win.
No matter what industry you are in, you have to start finding ways to combat stress in the workplace. Otherwise, you face worse employee burnout, turnover and profit loss. That is something none of us want. The three tips above are just a few of many that you can implement now.