April is Stress Awareness Month, and we encourage employers to focus their attention on how stress in the workplace can affect the productivity and mental health of employees, and what advise can be given to help employees maintain a good work-life balance.

Stress is a term we are all familiar with and we’ve all likely experienced stress at some point in our lives. Although the triggers and sources of stress may be different for us all, the impact of stress is relatively universal.

 

From noticing changes in the way we think or feel, for example:

  • Feeling negative
  • Being indecisive
  • Feeling isolated
  • Feeling nervous
  • Being unable to concentrate

 

To noticing changes in the way we act differently, for example:

  • Eating more or less than usual
  • Smoking and/or drinking more than usual
  • Taking recreational drugs ‘to cope’
  • Having difficulty sleeping

 

If we don’t address the sources of stress, then it can have an impact on individuals and organisations.

  • 8 million workers suffered from workrelated ill health (new or longstanding) in 2022/23 Source: Estimates based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey, people who worked in the last 12 months.
  • Of those, 0.9 million workers suffered from workrelated stress, depression or anxiety (new or long-standing) in 2022/23 Source: Estimates based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey, people who worked in the last 12 month.
  • 2 million working days are lost due to work-related ill health (including stress) and non-fatal workplace injury in 2022/23 Source: Estimates based on self-reports from the Labour Force Survey.
  • There was £13.1 billion in annual costs for new cases of work-related ill health in 2021/22, excluding long latency illness such as cancer Source: Estimates based on HSE Cost Mode.

We all need to find ways to buffer the impact of stress. One way we can achieve this is by building our resilience levels and ensuring that we make time for our own self-care.

 

5 tips for your employees to reduce stress levels in the workplace:

 

  1. Set boundaries – It can be useful to set ‘rules of engagement’ for screen time (especially if working from home), ‘switch off’ from technology when you can and put your work equipment away and out of sight if you do not have a dedicated office space to help you transition into ‘home mode’ after work so you can restore your energy levels.
  2. Maintain and healthy lifestyle
    Exercise – continuing to maintain, or establishing new exercise routines in the daytime, offers many positive advantages for both our physical and psychological health.
    Nutrition – sticking to set eating patterns throughout the day and eating a healthy balanced diet can keep energy levels (and concentration levels) high, helping with structure and your sense of control.
    Sleep – maintaining your sleeping routine is important – aim for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night, as this will have a huge impact on your mood, energy levels and productivity.
  3. End of work rituals – A regular end of work ritual can aid compartmentalisation by signalling to the brain that work is over and home life is beginning. It is important that one ritual is maintained over a period of time. Examples; Walking or biking home from work, reading an engaging and relaxing novel while taking public transport home. Changing out of work clothes and putting them away as soon as you get home.
  4. Engage with nature – nature provides us with the opportunity to rest, reflect, and restore our selves. So, spending some time outside every day during the working day is important. Similarly, you can bring nature indoors e.g. place flowers/plants around your home/office, or work in a room which has a view of a nature.
  5. Practice self-compassion – and don’t forget to be kind to yourself!

 

Adam Brazendale, Senior Mental Health Trainer at PAM Wellness Solutions, said:

“We all work in industries where there is an element of self-care for others. What we need to ensure is that, in the pursuit of caring for others wellbeing, we don’t neglect our own.”

 

How can PAM Wellness Solutions Help?

Enhanced Psychological Services:  Access to professional counsellors through management referrals, providing employees with proactive support to effectively manage stress and mental health challenges.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Access to a 24/7 confidential helpline answered by qualified counsellors for in-the-moment emotional support. As well as wellbeing resources to support a variety of personal and professional issues including stress related issues.

Mental Health Webinars: PAM Wellness Solutions offer a number of training and webinar sessions to educate your workplace through specialised workshops on stress management and burnout.

If you have access to PAM Wellness Solutions EAP service and are looking for support with stress and burnout, please reach out for support via the helpline or pam-assist.co.uk using your organisation code. Alternatively, request this information from your manager or HR department to access your EAP.