Workplace stress – take time to unwind this April

Stress Awareness Month is observed internationally every April to raise awareness about the causes and effects of stress and to promote stress management strategies. This year, the theme from the Stress Management Society is #littlebylittle, its aim being to highlight how consistent, small, positive actions constructively impact our overall wellbeing.

In support of this initiative, we spoke to our colleague, Karly Packham, a former teacher and therefore no stranger to workplace stress! She shared with us her top 5 tips for managing stress in the work environment.

“Workplace pressure is a part of life for everyone, but it can be dealt with effectively by following a few simple steps. These are the best ways I’ve found over the years to help manage stress:

1. Take regular breaks

Throughout the day, pause to relax and recharge. Short breaks can help reduce stress and improve focus. For example, just making a cup of tea or having a little walk around the office, can give you the mini-break your brain needs.

2. Work on your time management skills

Sometimes, feeling overwhelmed by work comes down to how organised you are. Try setting up a priority list at the beginning of your working week by preparing tasks and ranking them according to importance.

3. Employ relaxation techniques

Try deep breathing throughout the day at your desk, and meditation or yoga on your lunch breaks. These practices can help calm your mind and reduce stress.

4. Keep your workspace clean and organised

More often than not, a chaotic work environment means a chaotic mind. Taking the time to clear surfaces, organize drawers, and throw away rubbish can create a much less stressful environment. You are also more likely to avoid wasting your time in finding what you need.

5. Know when to ask for help

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to seek help from your manager or HR. They will make themselves available to listen and support you.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Remember to take the time to take care of yourself!”

The effective management of stress isn’t just down to the individual though. All businesses can make sure they are creating the right environment for their staff to ensure they don’t become overwhelmed. At STR, we’ve put in place several initiatives to help positively affect our colleagues’ mental wellbeing, both inside and outside the workplace.

Our benefits package features a health care cashback plan through Paycare, which includes free access to a confidential Counselling Service offering professional support for depression, stress, anxiety, relationship problems and bereavement, as well as tax, debt and legal support 24 hours a day. It can also cover the cost of up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions. This is available to all staff from day 1 of their employment.

We offer all colleagues the opportunity for hybrid working, making sure they have all the equipment they need and are properly set up to work remotely. We also provide flexibility in terms of working hours, enabling school pick-ups, dog walks and other important family commitments to be met.

Keeping aside a room for employees to go to when then need some time out is essential. Our prayer and meditation room is inviting and calmly decorated, for when colleagues need a few minutes out, or a little longer to sit down and talk to a colleague, manager or HR.

We can’t recommend instigating Summer Trading Hours enough! We first introduced an early finish Friday during the months of June, July and August two years ago, to enable colleagues to enjoy the longer summer evenings and warmer days. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive as staff enjoy a fantastic work/life balance.

Is your company doing everything they can to ensure your mental health? Or are you an employer looking to decrease stress for employees and ensure their mental health? Download our free resource today, STR Group’s ‘Workplace Mental Wellbeing’ checklist, to self-assess your current employee wellbeing strategy and see what more you could be doing.

Do you want to work for an incredible company that puts their employees’ wellbeing first? Contact our Talent Acquisition team today to discover what exciting roles we have available, or check out our careers page to find out more.