Four Ways to Manage Workplace Stress and Anxiety

Provide wellness strategies and training

To effectively support employees struggling with workplace stress and anxiety, management must have the right training to drive positive change. Training leaders and managers on wellness strategies, spotting mental health symptoms in others, and listening and providing support are great ways to kickstart mental health programs in organizations.

Such initiatives are great for promoting mental health conversations at work. Most importantly, they help management understand employees’ needs and concerns related to workplace stress.

Executives and managers must lead by example to encourage positive change within the workplace. It is up to company leaders to empower those with mental health difficulties. And thus, it is essential to start from the top down to equip senior management with good communication skills. If you practice what you preach and lead by example, you will experience more success in encouraging employees to communicate openly with one another. 

Many executives who struggle with mental health difficulties bring their struggles to the workplace and often spend their days feeling anxious, depressed, or isolated.  “As an executive, you’re already aware of the daily stresses of work,” says Olivia Marcellino, VP of Research at LuxuryRehabs.com. “Entire teams of people rely on you, there’s pressure to maintain a certain public image, and to keep performing at high levels. This leads to feeling overwhelmed and oftentimes, burnout.”

Therefore, good communication is essential for the success of your business and the wellness of your team. Leaders and managers should build a company culture that encourages open discussions about mental health concerns.

Businesses can’t deliver mental health support if they don’t understand it. And so, leaders must have solid knowledge about workplace stress and anxiety to support their teams.

The following resources are a fantastic way to equip senior management with the knowledge they need to support others with their mental health struggles:

• APT-USE provides a variety of accredited mental health training courses delivered by world-class mental health experts. 
• Mental Health First Aid at Work is an excellent source of key information about mental health and workplace stress and provides effective workshops for organizations. 

Measuring the results of your efforts is one of the best ways to show your employees you care about their mental health. Taking the time to collect employee feedback through in-person meetings and anonymous surveys is vital for tackling workplace stress and anxiety. 

Ask your team the following questions about the new changes in supporting staff with anxiety and workplace stress: 

• How safe do they feel about sharing their mental health issues with management? 
• Are there any changes to their workload or work environment that would help relieve feelings of workplace stress and anxiety in their day-to-day?
• Is there anything else they would like support with?

You can also send out a similar survey for leaders to analyze how successful your training has been and whether leaders feel fully equipped in their role or not. By requesting feedback and implementing the changes based on the same, your organization will be taking proactive steps to drive positive change for your business and your employees’ health. 

Equipping your team members with mental health support doesn’t have to be a daunting task. There are several resources that can help you manage employee mental health in the organization. Remember, prioritizing well-being in the workplace will improve morale, decrease stress, reduce absenteeism, and boost the productivity of your business.

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