Apr 26, 2022
Supporting employees is so important to run a happy, healthy business. Don’t get me wrong, a little bit of stress can actually help with productivity. The rush of adrenaline can help to boost performance, but too much of it can affect mental and physical health.
As part of Stress Awareness Month, I will be sharing with you some tips and methods on how to support your team during stressful times.
Why is it important to support your team?
Supporting your team not only helps build interpersonal
relationships but also reduces stress. You’d be surprised how much people can
really flourish when given the correct support.
1. Provide your employees with Regular support
2. Be flexible around your employee' needs
Flexible hours are something a lot of people appreciate, for
example, one person may find themselves productive in the morning and not so
much at night, or visa versa. Knowing your employees and giving them the
freedom to choose when they work (as long as they get their contracted hours)
not only helps employees reach their full potential, but also creates a sense
of trust within the workplace. You’ll find yourself with much happier employees
when giving them this sense of freedom.
3. Communicate regularly with your team
Talk to your team! Make an environment where your team feels comfortable enough to reach out to you when stressed or feeling overwhelmed with their work/personal life. Having weekly catchups is something we like to do at Apprentify. We have our weekly meeting on a Monday morning to discuss tasks that we’re working on during the week, which gives the team an opportunity to ask for help where needed. I’d definitely recommend implementing weekly catch-up meetings into your team if you haven’t already.4. Recognise and reward hard work
Start a star of the
week! Let your staff know that you see them working hard and you appreciate
what they are doing for the company. Adults still need a pat on the back when
they’ve done something amazing! By showing your recognition of their hard work
and sharing it with the rest of the company, it will make employees happier,
improve staff retention, encourage staff development, and boost the overall
morale of the business.
How help employees struggling with stress
Encourage healthy eating!
Keeping a healthy diet not
only improves physical health but can also improve mental wellbeing. Keeping a
balanced diet doesn’t just mean to cut out sugary foods, but to eat them in
moderation with all the other food groups. It’s a common misconception to
believe that cutting out “unhealthy” food such as chocolate will improve your
health, but that is not always the case. Did you know dark chocolate can
regulate the levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and stabilise metabolism?!
Positive self-talk.
Encourage your employees to Sell themselves, to
themselves! Reading into some positive affirmations to say to every day. They are
shown to strengthen self-worth by boosting both your positive opinion of
yourself and your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals.
Encourage exercise.
Exercise can reduce the intensity of how you’re feeling. By reducing this, it allows employees to deal with their emotions in a calmer manner. Exercise also releases endorphins which helps to maintain a positive attitude, look at one of our latest blogs on how sports can affect your mental health.
Let your employees have time off where needed!
Time with your loved ones is SO important. Maintaining close relationships helps with your overall feeling of loneliness. Everyone needs companionship.
To gain more useful insights regarding stress management for personal and work life, follow us over on LinkedIn.