Stress in the workplace is an all too common problem. It thwarts motivation, productivity, and workplace culture – studies have indicated that stress at work commonly leads to anxiety and can have physical ramifications for employees.¹ In fact…

• 94% of workers experience stress at their workplace.²
  
• 63% of workers are considering quitting their jobs because of stress.³
  
• 41% of workers say their stress leads to lower productivity.⁴
  

To reduce stress in the workplace, it is essential that employers and employees are able to communicate and work together to create as positive a workplace environment as possible.

How You Can Reduce Stress in the Workplace

1. Identify the issues 

The first step is always identifying the issues that are causing you stress, and identifying your role in them.

• What is within your control?
  
• What is out of your control?
  
• What can you talk to your supervisors about that might make your day-to-day easier?
  

Some workplace stress is caused by organizational issues – for example, a poor office culture, dissatisfaction with pay or workload, or poor interpersonal relationships. Others may happen at a more individual level – hours, deadlines, autonomy or a lack thereof.

Communication is always key, but the unfortunate truth is that a lot of people are uncomfortable complaining to or speaking to their supervisors or managers about stress.

2. Better Communication

One of the best things for an employer to do to reduce stress in the workplace is to normalize communication. After all, the employers themselves have more control to alleviate stress for their coworkers and employees – so open lines of communication to address them.

• Anonymous feedback opportunities, to ensure that everyone is as comfortable as possible with sharing their stressors.
  
• Regular meetings and check-ins to create greater autonomy
  
• Create clear employee goals, responsibilities, and deadlines, so employees feel more empowered

It is very important for employees to have some measure of autonomy over their own work, so as to not feel trapped or helpless in the face of processes or feedback they may disagree with or feel stressed by.

3. Maintain Work-Life Balance

Lastly, it’s extremely important to create clear distinctions between your work life and your personal life. With the prolonged shift to working from home, many people have had even more trouble creating this separation, but whether you’re in an office or working from home:

• Turn off email notifications on your phone during non-working hours
  
• Be present when you’re with your family or friends
  
• If possible, establish a clear “work space” at home and don’t mix it with your personal space
  
• Create good habits and routines, like eating, sleeping, and exercising
  
• Become better with time management to avoid feeling overwhelmed
  

No matter who you are, less stress for you means a more productive, happier workplace. Employers who want to foster a “work hard, play hard” environment need to deliver on that promise! As a general rule, the ability to reduce stress in the workplace is closely tied to the ability to communicate with everyone around you. eSmartr is here to help – and smart compression can go a long way towards increasing productivity and reducing stress – but it needs to be met halfway with an open, communicative workplace for everyone.

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^{1. Ganster, D. C., & Rosen, C. C. (2013). Work Stress and Employee Health: A Multidisciplinary Review. Journal of Management, 39(5), 1085–1122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206313475815
2. Crash and Burnout: Is Workplace Stressthe New Normal? (n.d.).Retrieved from https://www.wrike.com/blog/stress-epidem-ic-report-announcement/
3. Colonial Life study: Stressed workers costing employers billions – weekly. (2019,March 14).Retrieved from https://www.co-loniallife.com/about/newsroom/2019/march/stressed-workers-costing-employers-billions
4. 2019 State of Employee Communication and Engagement Study. (n.d.).Retrieved from https://resources.dynamicsignal.com/eb-ooks-guides/state-of-employee-communica-tion-and-engagement-study-2019
5. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html}