Less stress at work is beneficial for the company as well as the employees. For employees, it improves physical and mental health and community wellbeing. In the long run, staff will gain more job satisfaction and drive better performance. While for the company, it increases productivity and creativity and drives business growth.
But of course, STRESS cannot be completely left out. A healthy amount of stress is needed for a company to be competitive and productive.
Here are 5 tips to create a more relaxing working environment:
- Highlight the significance of work-life balance
- Maintain open communication and be understanding
- Encourage socialising at work
- Show recognition
- Guarantee a satisfying working environment
Flexibility is key to work-life balance. Companies should encourage and provide enough support to employees to pursue ultimate work-life balance rather than focusing time and efforts on solely retention strategies. Sustaining a healthy work-life balance improves employees’ mindfulness and fosters dedication to tasks at hand. When employees can achieve a suitable work-life balance, stress towards their job will be reduced and it also helps to retain top talents.
Distinctly defining everyone’s responsibilities and expectations can help lower stress levels at work. This is to ensure everything goes smoothly with the appointed tasks. It’s recommended to have weekly one-on-one meetings with your employees – just go over the projects, performance targets and listen to any problems that they have. Understand what they need and how they feel. Of course, openly discuss any feasible solutions that can improve their working experience.
Sometimes, employees may feel alienated, even in a small team. To boost workplace morale, employers can organise gatherings or events to get to know more about the teams’ interests and personalities. Allowing everyone to express themselves also shortens the distance amongst co-workers. Not only paying attention to teams’ outputs, but also taking the drive to create an honest, supportive, and healthy culture.
Acknowledging the efforts and contributions of your teams and employees means a lot to them and consequently improves their mental health. It reduces the feelings of stress and at the same time raises a sense of belonging and connection. Support and recognition act as ingredients to make an appealing dish. By showing employees that their hard work and dedication are valued, they will be more motivated to cope with the demands of work. This can create a gratitude culture with everyone satisfied within their roles.
Research shows that working in an environment full of distractions and annoyances can be stressful. A quiet and peaceful place to work with decent and practicable equipment, with enough space to move and sufficient light, improves well-being. Companies should not undervalue the effect of creating a pleasant office. Although it may seem redundant, the working environment can indeed have an impact on employees’ satisfaction.
Mental well-being is one of the essential elements on the road to achieving better employee engagement.
Here’s to employers who invest in their teams’ wellbeing!
PS: if you are out of ideas, here's how you can improve mental health in your workplace
