Moving Business Network - Learn from Industry Veterans

Avoid High Stress Levels in the Workplace

Stress (n.): A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation; a state of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. – Merriam-Webster.

Not all of us would put stress so elegantly, but once you experience stress, you will always be able to pinpoint it. Nerves on the frits, pulsing headaches, lower pain in your back, does this sound familiar?

Did you that more than two-thirds of employees claim that they have high levels of stress? And- 29% say that they are too stressed to be an effective employee at work on 5 or more days out of the year.  As our economy picks it self back-up out of the hole, moving companies are still doing more, with less at their disposal. This means that the employees are working harder, which can cause devastating emotional and physical fatigue, or worse, burnout.

Don’t fret though, a lot of moving companies are taking a proactive approach towards stress management and spending a great deal of money and resources to address it. Stress can de-motivate and can detract focus, leading to poor company growth. Simply having frequent office parties and/or events that employees can look forward to will help diminish most of the daily stress.

So what can you do as an employer or employee to keep your self in check? The following are a few steps to contribute or implement a stress-free workplace.

1. Assess the stress

Ever heard the saying “you can’t change what you don’t know”?  The first thing that you will need to do is assess the stress, figure out what the root cause is or the building of stressors. Survey yourself or your employees and get to the bottom of where it’s coming from – whether it’s little things like a glass ceiling, technology issues, family matters, sexual harassment or management issues. The sooner that you can pinpoint it, the better.

2. Communicate

You and your employees will feel better if the big picture is understood and everyone is aware of what is happening around them. Employees want to be treated like responsible adults and want to take part in problem solving. This will give everyone a sense of control, which will reduce stress and anxiety. This will also heighten the sense of a working community, which is what every moving business owner should strive for. Employees will feel more involved and more important.

3. Anticipate and plan

It turns out that a lot of stress is involved in the planning process. Most people who have poor scheduling skills, or don’t have an agenda, will feel more stress than most. Throughout the workday, things will happen that you cannot plan for, but if 90% of your day is planned, this leaves the unanticipated portion of your day feeling ‘not so bad’. Try switching which entrance you take into work, change your desk posture to a more relaxed approach, take frequent breaks, or re-arrange your desk. Remember, complacency leads to unhappiness and stress.

4. Get Healthy

The truth of stress is that it will always be there, it is impossible to eliminate all stressors in your life. However, there are proactive approaches that you can take to stave some or even most of stress off. Get healthy. Exercise on a more frequent basis, take a break and walk around the office, do jumping jacks, push-ups or just touch your toes. Stay active and let the blood flow every once in a while. It will make a huge difference in helping you avoid and cope with stress, without complacency.