Now that the holidays are quickly approaching, workplace stress increases as employees are trying to manage both their workload and personal commitments. A large workload mixed with attending holiday parties, relatives in town and buying gifts can make the end of the year very stressful. Here are some tips for helping employees manage stress:
- Encourage employees to eat well and exercise – Eating well is especially difficult during this time of year, so providing healthy food at work helps. Offering employees a stipend for a gym membership or at least a flexible schedule so they can work out also helps.
- Encourage employees to get enough sleep – Stress often leads to insomnia, which many times leads to even more stress and poor health. Provide employees tips on how to get better sleep like keeping a regular sleep schedule and keeping their bedroom a restful place with no tv or computer.
- Recognize employee achievements – When a project is finished, don’t just move on to the next thing. Remember to stop and acknowledge the hard work your employees have done.
- Discuss techniques for managing stress – Breaking large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks or empowering employees to delegate work if they are feeling overwhelmed helps reduce stress. Setting realistic deadlines and prioritizing work also helps employees feel more organized and less overwhelmed.
- Encourage employees to take breaks – Taking a quick walk helps you refocus and recharge.