STRESS, a phenomenon that defies definition, has crept in like an epidemic, affecting almost all, especially the urban lives. And it’s not alone. Stress has bought with it, tertiary diseases such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, depression, asthma, gastrointestinal problems and Alzheimer’s to name a few.
Affecting millions of people, stress has become one of the most pronounced causes of death today, affecting people both mentally and physically. Today’s economic turmoil, comprising of recession, downsizing, retrenchment, layoffs, and bankruptcies, have had a dramatic effect on people, especially business men and the working class. Workers at every level are experiencing increased tension and anxiety.
Stress can be triggered by a problem that may on the surface seem impossible to solve. Work environment, relations with colleagues and co-workers, peer pressure, customer complaints and performance pressures equally contribute to stress at workplace. Career advancements and keeping up with workplace competition can also lead to stress among employees. Where businesses are concerned, the need to grow and sustain businesses, bring about its own share of stress. Learning how arrive at solutions to problems will help businessmen and employees to enhance their problem-solving abilities, thereby lowering stress levels.
To help manage stressful situations, organizations are constantly trying to arrange stress management seminars and trainings for employees to alleviate workplace stress – a must for today’s competitive environment.
Few ways to cope up with stressful situations at workplace
Empower your employees Employees are a valuable asset for your organization. Always bombarding them with too many responsibilities without authority can reduce their morale. They start to experience a sense of powerlessness which ultimately leads to increased stress. To avoid such a situation, organizations need to empower employees by letting them work in their style and give them required amount of power and authority so they can make some decisions on their own.
Customized Job Description Every employee should be given a specifically drafted job description comprising of roles and responsibilities related to their designations. With a clear job description, your expectations are officially agreed by the employee at the time of joining the organization. A time bound job description will not burden employees with additional responsibilities thus stressful work pressures can be avoided.
Work settings Sometimes work settings hamper an employee’s overall productivity creating physical stress due to various factors like noise, poor lighting, poor ventilation, poor temperature control or inadequate sanitary facilities. Settings where there is chaos and confusion can stress employees to a great extent. A complete authoritarian managerial style and reporting to multiple bosses can also be psychologically stressful. Organizations need to create work settings in such a manner that employees feel comfortable and work with a peace of mind so as to avoid workplace stress.
Time Management During hectic work hours, there are times, when employees all feel overburdened by tasks. To avoid piling up of work it’s very important for employees to prepare their ‘To Do’ lists. Accept that you cannot do everything at once and start to prioritize tasks. Make a list of all the things that you are supposed to do. Identify the urgent and important tasks and put them on your priority list. Note what tasks you need to do personally and what can be delegated. Record which tasks need to be done immediately and which can be done later. Doing so will eliminate unnecessary clutter and procrastination can also be avoided. Employees can avoid stressful situation by systematically prioritizing tasks.
Talk to Someone Talking to someone can be a great way of coping up with stress. Just talking to someone and pouring your heart to someone close can be of great help. Talking can distract you from your stressful thoughts or release some amount of tension by discussing it rather than staying alone and falling prey to depression.
Involve yourself in social circles. Engage yourself in conversations. Talking with a friend, colleague, or a professional consultant, can help you find solutions to your stress and bring you out of the stressful situations.
Slow down. Relax. Enjoy work. Enjoy life!
About UV Consultants: At UV Consultants, we focus on providing ‘Unique Value’ to our customers through Customized Training Solutions and Focused Coaching to Individuals and Corporates.
To discuss your training requirements, please write to contact@uvconsultants.com or call +971-4-8525752.