1. Create A Pleasant Work Environment
Did you know that 22% of workers in Ireland experience stress at work either “always” or “most of the time”? Furthermore, an article in The Irish Times states that work-related stress, anxiety and depression accounts for 18% of sick days. Creating a pleasant work environment for employees can help reduce stress levels. For example, providing a chill out meeting area where workers can unwind or have casual meetings can greatly help decrease their stress levels.
Employers can incorporate meeting pods where employees can have casual meetings and take the seriousness of a meeting room out of the equation. Additionally, simple things like incorporating plants around the office can also help reduce stress levels as green spaces and nature can help promote feelings of relaxation and calmness. If employees feel happy in their working environment then they are less likely to call in sick, take long breaks or procrastinate. Happy employees lead to hardworking employees that do amazing work, meaning an increase in productivity and business success. We recently discussed the benefits of having plants in the office.
2. Have an Open-Door Policy
Lack of communication can be a trigger of stress for workers in the office, especially if employees feel like they cannot approach their managers and supervisors. It’s important to encourage employees to communicate and ask questions about tasks they may feel uncertain about. Having an open-door policy allows the workers to voice their frustrations and ask questions, easing their minds and thereby helping reduce stress levels. Additionally, having an open-door policy also strengthens loyalty and relationships between managers and employees, leading to a better working dynamic.
3. Encourage Exercise in The Office
An average full-time employee spends 40 hours in the office per week. Employees tend to be sedentary a chunk of the time during the working day. It has been proven ample amounts of time that exercising has plenty of benefits to the human body. Other than the obvious weight loss benefit, it has been proven that exercise can reduce stress levels, improve moods and boost motivation. Providing furniture that encourages employees to regularly move prompting exercise can be highly effective at helping to reduce stress.
Movement chairs are a perfect addition to the office as they encourage constant motion of muscles, encouraging exercise whilst working. These wobble chairs also constantly stimulate and strengthen all of the complex muscles in your back helping to relieve back pain. Standing desks are another addition which could be incorporated into the office to help encourage exercise. Having these adjustable standing desks in the workplace encourages employees to move away from the sedentary position of sitting at your average office desk.
4. Encourage Healthy Eating
Having a healthy balanced diet can help combat stress as eating a healthy diet can help reduce the negative effects of stress in your body by lowering your blood pressure and stabilizing your moods. A simple gesture like offering healthy food choices on site, for example, providing fresh fruit and vegetables in the office kitchen can help employees adopt a healthy balanced diet. Furthermore, encourage employees to minimize caffeine intake by providing a water dispenser or other non-caffeinated alternatives as hydration is a highly important part of living a healthy lifestyle. For additional ways to try and encourage healthy living, here are our tips for 5 simple ways to stay healthy at work.
5. Encourage Organization
Clutter around the workspace can have many negative effects including an increase in stress levels. It’s hard for anyone to work in an office full of clutter. Concentration levels are lowered and so productivity is lowered. De-cluttering your office by having an effective storage system for your paperwork could help reduce stress levels for employees. Providing under desk pedestals are an effective way to help employees keep their desk clutter free. This gives employees a handy storage solution to keep their desks neat and tidy without having to deal with the stress of clutter.
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