Employees are your company’s most important assets, and their productivity affects the success of your business campaigns. But mental health problems diminish your workers’ engagement, commitment, and overall productivity. Mental stress makes them less creative, unresponsive to instructions, and victims of excessive absenteeism. But what causes employees to suffer from mental health problems? Experts have identified “workplace stress” as the culprit here. This “stress” often negatively impacts your employees’ health – both mental and physical – and curbs their willpower. Business leaders must take all necessary steps to help workers combat mental health challenges; these steps involve the following methods:
1. Discourage Multitasking
Multitasking doesn’t enable you to focus on two tasks simultaneously. Instead, it hampers your ability to concentrate. Whenever you’re interrupted, it takes you several minutes to regain your attention. So, employers should forbid workers from bringing their gadgets to meetings. Ask them to respect someone’s “Do Not Disturb” sign. It would be best to lead by example by refusing to look at your smartphone while in a conference. It will motivate others to become more productive in the workplace.
2. Provide Health and Counseling Options
Almost 50% of workers require some external assistance coping with their stress. So, companies can hire the right experts to administer healthcare facilities for your staff. As a business leader, you must employ the services of a health services manager in the company. Another way is to offer any of your employees to go for further studies and become a health service manager. With the help of online education, they can continue their current job with their studies. Many universities offer online MHA degrees to prospective students. These degrees enable them to manage on-site or digital health services for people working for you.
You can also provide counseling services to your employees. Counseling allows employees to express themselves and deal with factors causing them to feel depressed. So, focus on inviting professionals to organize counseling sessions.
3. Promote Physical Activeness
A sedentary lifestyle isn’t healthy, so you should encourage workers to engage in physical activities. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins in your body; these chemicals produce feelings of glee and pleasure in people. When employees are physically active, they’re rejuvenated with a sense of energy and creativity. If someone detests exercise, you can ask that person to undertake running or walking as an alternative. Physical activities allow workers to pace themselves at the workplace.
4. Encourage Open Communication
Where do you think most of the stress comes from? It often comes from unresponsive managers. So, leaders must communicate effectively with employees. An open dialogue between the boss and the worker reduces “workplace stress.” On the other hand, a negative relationship between these two entities makes your employee sick. Don’t ignore their ideas or neglect their suggestions. Always lend an ear when workers wish to speak their mind to strengthen your relationship with the staff.
5. Encourage Workplace Wellness
Business leaders must encourage workplace wellness to promote healthy practices in the office. It doesn’t just include exercises but different tactics that seduce workers to take care of themselves. So, you should offer healthy & nutritious meals to your employees, encourage workers to walk more often, and offer subsidized gym memberships. These techniques take workers’ minds off the stress of their responsibilities. Statistics show that two-thirds of employees appreciate it when their bosses pack the refrigerator with healthy snacks. Access to nutritious food in the workplace seems like the perfect incentive to reduce mental stress and make your staff more productive.
6. Appreciate the Workers
Don’t forget to appreciate your workers whenever they accomplish something, reach business objectives, or contribute to the company’s profitability. However, different employees have different preferences when it comes to praises. Extroverts prefer to be recognized publicly for their services; introverts favor letters of appreciation discreetly placed on their desks. It’ll help workers learn that the employer values their efforts. So, they’ll be motivated to enhance their productivity.
7. Offer PTO
Offering some paid time off (PTO) allows employees to relax and return afresh to the workplace. But statistics show that over 40% of Americans dislike taking some time off work. So, business managers must encourage the staff to consider vacations to revamp. More than one-third of employers offer PTO in benefits packages to prevent exhaustion among workers. Don’t let stress prevent your team from having some “me time.” Instead, let them enjoy themselves to improve their productivity.
8. Allow Remote Working
Remote working grew as the rising matters and trends after the pandemic emerged. Over 4.3 million Americans today telecommute! Statistics show that telecommuting people are 24% more likely to be happier than traditional employees. So, business leaders should focus on setting flexible hours to accommodate workers suffering from an intense workload. Don’t make the office feel like a prison. Allow employees to work remotely; it empowers them to know that you trust them and aren’t going to babysit the workers. Remote workers are more productive than regular employees since they’re working from the comforts of their home with fewer chances of anxiety/depression.
9. Give Them a Break
Working continuously without rest isn’t healthy; this practice leads to stress and makes employees less productive. Discourage unhealthy work routines such as “crunching,” where workers spend 20 hours/day crouched before computer screens. Researchers believe that not taking breaks may even lead to memory loss due to stress/anxiety. So, encourage your employees to take frequent breaks throughout the day since it’ll make them less stressed and more efficient.
10. Bring Diversions
You can boost your staff’s productivity by engaging them in entertaining activities. These diversions serve as “ice-breakers” since they bring some enjoyment in a monotonous workplace environment. Do you think it’s counterproductive to bring some diversions? Well, “workplace stress” itself serves as a diversion. It seems better if your workers are – at least – involved in some activities that do not involve them feeling depressed/unmotivated. Some fun activities proper for the office include:
- A dartboard
- Video games
- Board games
- A ping-pong table
- Some friendly dogs
Conclusion
What causes mental stress among American employees? These factors include workload, worries about job security, and the worker’s domestic problems. WHO has even declared “workplace stress” a global epidemic. The coronavirus pandemic also contributed to feelings of anxiety/depression among people. Thus, leaders must focus on creating a positive workplace environment for their employees. Look for the signs, identify at-risk individuals, and take crucial steps to help your workers.