What can you do, as an employer or manager, to reduce stress among your employees? Try these different perspectives on dealing with stress at work.
1. Change the Organization
Adopt an open concept in your workplace by communicating with your employees to reduce job-related stress. Clearly define their roles and responsibilities and try to make it a point to communicate in an agreeable and yet efficient tone.
2. Consult Them
Try not to work your employees too hard by setting unrealistic deadlines for them. Instead, allow them to partake in decisions that will affect their jobs by consulting them about their scheduling, work rules, and what’s on their plates. This shows them that they are valued as individual workers.
3. Reward Them
Do not hesitate to offer rewards and incentives for jobs well done. Verbal and institutional praise or opportunities for career development are among the incentives that you should try to offer your employees.
4. Promote Social Interaction
Provide opportunities for social interaction among your employees and make clear a zero-tolerance policy for harassment. Thus, you’re promoting a healthy and friendly social climate in the workplace.
What can you, as an employee do, to protect yourself against work-induced stress? Here are different perspectives on dealing with stress at work.
1. Stand up for Yourself
If you were not provided with a clear job description upon employment, ask for one, or even negotiate one! According to the American Psychological Association, “the act of negotiating a job description “does more to dispel a sense of powerlessness than anything else we know. You can object to what and insist on what you do want. If there is a compromise, it’s because you agreed to it. With a clear job description, your expectations are spelled out, as are your boss’.” But if your job is getting too stressful and your efforts have been futile – find a new job.
2. Turn around Self-Defeating Habits
Resist perfectionism! Nothing is perfect and you only stress yourself out by trying to achieve that illusion. Instead, try setting realistic goals for yourself. Aside from that, organize your life! Be punctual, be neat and eliminate clutter. Make lists to schedule your daily activities and stick to them. You’ll find that it overwhelms you a lot less. Lastly, get rid of negative thinking – it drains your energy and motivation.
3. Dispel Stress
You can take time away from work, talk it out with a close friend or even cultivate allies at work. All these things serve to reduce stress during stressful times at work.
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