Work-related stress is becoming more prominent year in year out. With the natures of the jobs changing and working hours staying the same or very similar to the ones that people in the ’70s or ’90s had, stressing out over work is somehow inevitable. When you add a dull interior and very short breaks to the mix, you get a recipe for a very stressed-out person. That’s why we’ve come up with a few tips that will help you deal with stress in the workplace in the best way possible.
Upscale the interior design
Whether you work in a cubicle or a separate office, if the interior is monotonous, you won’t have any choice but to feel less productive, which will ultimately stress you out. That’s why you should think about revamping your workspace. Talk to your boss and see whether your cubicle walls can be higher so that you can have more privacy. Bring in some flowers to put in the corner of your desk, next to a picture of your family, for instance. For those working in the office, consider changing the colour of the walls into a more motivating one if possible. If the walls need to stay the same colour, you can always improvise with décor and accessories and embellish the office in such a way that makes you love working there every day
Schedule longer breaks
Breaks longer than15 minutes are essential for every employee’s wellness. They need to have enough time to distance themselves from work and think about anything else. Resetting their minds and allowing their bodies to stretch will be very beneficial for stress release. They should have at least a 30-minute break or a 45 one ideally, every 3 hours. During that time, they can either have a massage, enjoy a meal or work out. Having a deep muscle massager in the office, ready to use it on your shoulders, neck or back whenever the tension hits, are one of the possible practices they can do during a long break.
Improve wellness
Speaking of wellness and massages, introducing yoga hours or subsidized memberships for the gym, can be of great use to all the employees. They will use their long breaks to work on their fitness and blow off steam at the right time. If they got stressed during working hours, they shouldn’t keep all that frustration bottled inside. Going to the gym or having yoga in the office will allow them to deal with the frustration on the spot and continue working with peace of mind.
Ask for flexible hours
Having to work from 9 to 5 is one of the biggest stressors. That’s why offering flexible hours will be a very smart decision. All employees will gladly jump at the opportunity, as it offers them more freedom and flexibility during the day. Why? Because only a flexible worker is a happy worker, according to Forbes. Sometimes a legal issue needs to be taken care of at midday when a break isn’t enough for them to make to the appointment and much less have everything done. The same goes for taking the kid to the doctor, for instance. By allowing your employees to do their 8 hours whenever during the day, plenty of loads will be taken off their back and make them less stressed about meeting deadlines.
Stressing out at work is inevitable, but it can be put under control. From having flexible hours to decorating the workspace in your own manner and taking longer breaks to stretch, have a massage or simply indulge in a cup of freshly brewed coffee, all of that will help you keep stress at bay and relieve it quickly in case it hits you.
