Job burnout is real! Strategies for preventing & overcoming workplace stress can come in handy

Workplace stress, if not managed accurately, can result in dire potentially serious consequences. Finding a job that is not stressful is like finding a needle in a haystack. Therefore, adopting a more realistic approach entails effective management of workplace stress levels by first identifying the underlying factors. Stress triggers physical, emotional and psychological strain. 

Workplace stress inversely impacts work quality, lessens productivity, makes the employees disengaged and also results in higher attrition rates. The workplace stress levels aggravated post-pandemic with people returning to offices and having to adhere to revised norms. A Statista survey reveals that 38 per cent of Indian employees suffer from frequent burnouts while another 38 per cent experience moderate levels of stress. 

The most common factors that spark stress levels are excessive workloads, inadequate pay, unrealistic or unclear expectations, lack of community between colleagues, etc. Here are a few ways to battle occupational stress and foster a healthy work environment.

How management can reduce stress levels for employees?

1.    Encourage transparency & open communication

The major cause behind workplace stress is a hostile or negative relationship between employees and higher management. Encouraging management classes that focus on leadership skills and personal training is instrumental in driving better communication with the team. Emotional regulation and methods of conveying counter-feedback in a pragmatic way are essential to ward off unnecessary stress levels. It is essential for management to reduce the pressure of hierarchy by making themselves approachable.

2.    Organise stress management training (mediation/relaxation strategies)

While some people are naturally endowed with the ability to manage high levels of stress, majority of the corporate professionals are unaware of the coping mechanisms. Therefore, it is indispensable to incorporate training wherein the staff are exposed to life skills training like time management, setting the right priorities, realistic goal setting, cultivating resilience, etc. Holistic stress management techniques include yoga, meditation, and practising mindfulness which help reduce anxiety and stave off psychological stress and burnout.

3.    Rewards & recognitions

It is crucial to acknowledge the labour that employees put in and laud their efforts to boost their motivation levels and accelerate productivity. Rewarding deserving employees helps create a healthy work environment, improves employee morale and augments work quality.

4.    Urge employees to take periodic time-offs

Employees often fall victim to “crunching” in organisations where taking paid time offs is not a part of the workplace culture. This basically results in damaging effects on their brains which, in detrimental cases, can lead to memory loss. Thus, encouraging multiple periodic breaks helps keep stress levels at bay and enhances productivity. 

5.    Flexible work schedule

Ever since the pandemic hit the world, hybrid work culture has become the new normal. Providing employees with the option of working from anywhere eases stress levels allowing corporate professionals to maintain the perfect work-life balance. Adopting SaAS-based solutions to ensure workforce productivity amidst a flexible schedule can also prove to be effective. 

Managing workplace stress as an employee

Identify the activities which are great stress busters for you and try to indulge in them on a daily basis. For instance, reading books, going for a run, pampering yourself with a hot cup of tea, listening to your favourite songs, etc. These bring down stress levels exponentially and keep diseases at bay.

Since work constitutes the major chunk of our day, the stress encountered at work should be dealt with utmost care. Addressing stress issues early on helps ward off debilitating health problems and results in optimal productivity in the workplace.

(Inputs by Delphin Varghese, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Adcounty India.)

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