4 simple tips to prevent stress at the office for the employee

Humans are designed quite efficiently. Few functions or features are superfluous. Even stress is an emotion that serves a purpose: detecting threats and sensing danger or change, vital skills in a cavemen (and women) world. To be fair those skills are still very valuable today. The problem is that we haven’t evolved as fast as our society has progressed and we are unable to adapt our stress reaction to the different kinds of stress we are faced with today: from being late for work, having to speak in front of a crowd (unpleasant but not life-threatening) to avoid being hit by a car.
That inability to make sense of what is survival and what is actually bringing us down is the real problem in today’s society and workplace.

Let ‘s dive in! And if you are interested, we also wrote a piece from the manager’s perspective.

Owning your time

It is rare for employees to have a lot of say in the way things are organized. They have limited influence on their environment in a classical workspace. Tasks are assigned and working hours are imposed. Not having control over things that impact you is one very important cause of anxiety in the workplace. If advocating for more flexibility with management is definitely something to consider, one thing an employee usually always has power over is how to spend their breaks and lunch time. Those are times too often overlooked as ways to positively impact ones well being and mental health at work.

Finding what feels good

There is no one size fits all solution. We are all different and all react differently to stress and our environment. The first thing to do is identify the activities and settings that make us feel ‘good’. Whether it is going for a yoga class at lunch time, listening to classical music, having a stroll in the park, calling a friend or even taking a nap… Usually, anything is better than eating quickly and mindlessly at the desk.

It seems obvious and yet, so many people often chose the later because they are stressed. Finding what works and having a list of these small activities that can be done daily will be a good reminder that they have control over their day and can impact it positively.By taking a short break, we will eventually train our body and mind to see things differently and reduce our level of stress. The more we practice those little ‘exercises’, the more this skill develops. As time passes, we learn how to remove ourselves consciously from a difficult situation, where we have fight or flight reactions. We bring ourselves to the here and now moment, and more often than not, realize that we are safe.

Little things make big days

It is so easy to get lost in the day to day and forget about the little things. However when we decide to look up from our screens it is usually easy to find reasons to celebrate. Celebrating one another is a wonderful way to create trust and a sense of community within a team. The more we feel like we belong and we feel safe with each other, the less stress or anxiety we experience. A celebration can take many forms and shapes from the proper party and champagne to the simple grateful post it on your colleague’s screen. Thinking of the little ways to bring a smile on someone’s face can be a wonderful stress releaser!

Fighting stress at work is a team effort

Practicing self awareness and taking proper breaks are good ways to start improving the everyday life at the workplace. They will not however cure the problem all together. Indeed, a stressful environment is rarely created by the employee alone. Anxiety and stress at the workplace is consequently something that should be addressed at the management level as well rather than being pushed solely on the employee to take care of. Tips to prevent stress at the office must be more than just advising employees to ‘take a deep breath’. It must come hand in hand with actually creating opportunities for that to happen.It is about creating physical and virtual spaces for them to safely bring up the cause of their stress, actively listening and implementing new ways to empower them.