How to deal with stress at work

Stress at work can have negative impacts on all aspects of an employee’s life. If not dealt with, this can lead to burnout, which can consequently affect performance.

People Insight released its Stress in the workplace: Spot the signs and tackle the causes report, discussing work-related stress and how you can manage it.

According to People Insight, hybrid working has brought plenty of positives to the workforce, such as improved productivity, flexibility and work/life balance.

There are negatives that can arise, however. The report highlights that when hybrid working isn’t implemented correctly, it can lead to increased stress due to longer hours and isolation.

People Insight noted that two-thirds of workers are prone to stress at work, and “signs of burnout” Google searches are up 221 per cent. Furthermore, in 2022, 17 million working days were lost due to stress.

Respondents to the survey commented on the data: “The levels of stress faced by our front-line staff when things go wrong make the job unbearable at times.”

“The workload makes me feel stressed and tired every day. There were three days last week alone when our team worked from 7:30am until 7pm, and I couldn’t just go home because we have to deliver on schedule. The whole department is so exhausted at the moment it’s becoming too much of a challenge to stay positive … and it needs to change.”

People Insight said stress can lead to various complications, such as:

• Anxiety/depression
• Insomnia
• Poor diet
• Susceptibility to pain and infection
• High blood pressure, and risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease

It can also create hostility in the workplace, which hinders cooperation and collaboration. This has effects on overall productivity and profitability.

A wellbeing survey can be a great way to gauge employees’ feelings and search for signs of stress and burnout. People Insight said some questions you can ask are: “[Am I] able to strike the right balance between my work and home life?” “[Is] my opinion sought on decisions that affect my work?”

With these issues in mind, People Insight provided three ways that organisations can reduce stress:

1. Lead from the front
2. Check your culture
3. Notice what people do

There are also ways that managers can support their teams during stressful times:

1. Check in with your team
2. Point them towards resources
3. Recognise and reward
4. Lead by example

By taking the time to understand how issues arise and listening to what your workforce is saying, you can ensure you are resolving problems and ultimately getting the best out of your employees.

Jack Campbell

Jack is the editor at HR Leader.