Reduce stress in the workplace

Who wouldn’t want to have employees who enjoy going to work every day and are enthusiastic and happy about their work? To achieve this goal, employers need to reduce stress factors in the workplace to a minimum. After all, stress at work not only reduces work performance, but can also lead to illness and burnout.

But how can you recognize a stressed employee? What causes stress in the workplace? And what methods of stress management can managers consciously define and promote in their company? We explain.

How is stress actually defined?

In medical terms, stress occurs at a neuronal level and is triggered by our limbic system in the center of the brain. More specifically, through the amygdala region of the brain, which is responsible for processing emotions. In certain situations, it activates our nerve cells, which in turn release hormones and put us on alert. Our ancestors were already under stress, and back then it was fight or flight.

Is stress always negative?

If you take a closer look at the evolutionary biology of stress, it is not necessarily negative. In prehistoric times, it saved humans from extinction. Stress is therefore first and foremost a clever reaction by our body to put us on alert and force us to act.

The difference between positive and negative stress is determined by our individual emotional and mental perception. A number of factors play a role here, such as our upbringing and experience.

One example:

You are hiking with friends. Now you come to a point where you have the choice of taking a short via ferrata or the longer, secured path to the summit.

• If you are a real adventurer and have already successfully mastered such a route many times, the challenge of the via ferrata will delight you. You feel the tingling in your stomach and can’t wait to take the first step. You experience positive stress.
• If you have always been afraid of heights, you will probably immediately say no to the via ferrata and prefer to take the safe detour. Your heart will race and you will break out in a sweat just looking at the start of the route. You will be put under negative stress.

The perception of stress often changes many times over the course of a person’s life, as do their personality traits and life goals. Stress therefore depends to a large extent on our individual life situation at any given time. Long-term negative stress can lead to massive health problems and long-term illnesses, as this article describes in more detail.

What are the triggers for stress in the workplace?

Whether assistant or team leader – the position alone is meaningless when it comes to stress factors in the workplace. In fact, working conditions often play a decisive role. These and other causes can be to blame when employees experience stress at work:

Too much work, too few staff

In the long term, an excessive workload leads to overwork and the fear of not being able to meet their employer’s expectations. In the case of permanent overtime, the body usually becomes permanently stressed due to excessive demands, as the brain needs appropriate rest periods to process stress.

Lack of leadership

Due to a lack of communication from superiors, employees may have difficulty recognizing priorities within their tasks. This leads to them trying to complete everything in parallel in the shortest possible time. Stress and excessive demands are almost always inevitable. The same applies to unclear process structures in departments and companies.

Working environment

If headaches due to inadequate lighting or construction noise from next door are already part of everyday life, it’s no wonder that this has an impact on the employees’ psyche. Open-plan offices without a place to retreat often also bring with them a background noise that not everyone can deal with equally well.

Lack of feedback and recognition

Those who rarely or never receive positive feedback or praise become insecure over time. Thoughts such as “Am I good enough for my job?”, “Is what I’m doing good enough?” often circle over employees like a sword of Damocles. Inner insecurity and tension become a daily companion.

Interruptions

People can concentrate differently well on a task if external influences such as emails or phone calls arriving every second disturb them in between. Certain tasks also require full concentration over a long period of time. The feeling of not being able to complete your work in the allotted time is a clear stress trigger.

Working atmosphere

Mental stress caused by pressure and fear of failure due to the boss’s inappropriate management style can make you ill. The same applies to a bad atmosphere in the team, arguments or even bullying among colleagues. However, even the lack of opportunity to withdraw for a few minutes to chat with colleagues over a cup of coffee can lead to a feeling of isolation and a lack of support.

Lack of freedom

Still part of everyday life in some companies: employees who think twice about taking their full annual leave. Parents who don’t know how to finish work by the afternoon to pick up their children from daycare on time. Employees who put off going to the doctor yet again because they can’t miss their weekly meeting. A lack of freedom and a lack of trust in the staff promote stress and anxiety and represent a constant burden that often has an impact on their private lives.

How can you recognize stressed employees?

Stress in the workplace manifests itself on various levels. They are not always clearly recognizable and are quickly misinterpreted as excessive ambition or reduced interest in the job. Look out for warning signs like these:

Physical symptoms

• Tense posture
• Persistent pallor or redness
• Rapid breathing
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Dark circles

Behaviors

• Tendency to work a lot of overtime
• Loud voice, conspicuously overconfident appearance
• Increased willingness to take risks
• Impatience
• Verbally aggressive behavior, frequent “flying off the handle”

or/and

• Mental absence
• Working slowly
• Lack of concentration, high error rate
• Noticeably reduced participation in conversations, withdrawal
• Less exuberant, lack of laughter

Due to the different basic personalities of people, good observation skills are required. Pay particular attention to changes in behavior. Is your otherwise cheerful colleague suddenly withdrawing? The previously reserved colleague is constantly making cynical remarks? Pay particular attention here.

How can companies tackle stress in the workplace?

Constant stress at work is not only one of the number one reasons for dismissal, but can also cause serious illness among employees. This can even lead to stress-related heart attacks and depression. As an employer, you are responsible for your workforce. The good news is that as a company manager, you can do a lot to reduce stress in your company and also take preventative action. Here are a few tips.

Social level

• Meet your employees at eye level.
• Listen to us.
• Promote a positive feedback culture.
• Take feedback seriously.
• Allow for mistakes.
• Do not threaten with consequences.
• Praise.
• Celebrate successes together with your team.
• Remember successes.
• Promote positive teamwork (here are 7 ideas for online team events).
• Trust your team.
• Give them the necessary freedom (keyword: home office, hybrid or remote work).
• Always stand fully behind your staff.

Planning level

• Develop and revise requirement profiles in recruiting on a regular basis.
• Keep an overview of your current resources.
• Carry out professional needs assessments.
• Think about succession planning at an early stage.
• Check in advance which applicants actually fit into the team.
• Introduce an employee portal.
• Keep a complete record of working hours, absences, breaks and vacations.
• Create uncomplicated and clear work plans.
• Offer the possibility of digital communication.
• Adapt your inventory to the needs of your employees.

How Teamhero’s personnel planning software can support you in this process

Comprehensive personnel management used to be a very time-consuming task and a drain on HR resources. With Teamhero, those days are over: whether personnel planning, working time recording or inventory management – everything can be digitally recorded and controlled via one and the same central platform.

Remote onboarding? Mission data evaluation at the touch of a button? No problem at all with Teamhero. What sets our software apart from others is that it focuses on personnel-intensive companies within its functionality. This includes, for example

• Event and hostess agencies
• Promotion agencies
• Personnel service provider
• Catering company
• Trade fair service provider
• Security services
• Sports facilities

Would you like to experience the functions of Teamhero live? No problem! Get your free demo version today. We look forward to getting to know you.

Conclusion

Stress is basically a normal reaction of our body to put us on alert by releasing hormones. Whether stress is perceived positively or negatively is determined by our emotions, thoughts and experiences. Negative stress at work is common and poses far-reaching health risks. The most common stress factors at work include overload due to too much work and overtime, a poor working atmosphere and too little freedom.

Employers can make a huge contribution to reducing stress in the workplace by adopting a modern management style at eye level, including a positive feedback culture and allowing mistakes to be made without the threat of consequences. Preventive measures are reflected above all in professional personnel controlling. A modern digital software solution such as Teamhero can provide valuable support with its simple and centralized handling.