Ever feel stress at work?
Silly question.
But the issue of stress in the workplace and how it can stifle productivity, damage morale and spark employee turnover is anything but silly.
In fact, those who find themselves having trouble keeping calm and carrying on at work are in the majority. More than half of workers said they are stressed at work on a day-to-day basis, and 60 percent said work-related pressure had increased in the past five years, according to a new survey by Menlo Park, Calif.–based staffing firm Accountemps.
Their concerns are hardly lost on executives: 54 percent of CFOs acknowledged their teams are stressed, and 55 percent said worker anxiety was on the rise. Employees polled cited heavy workloads and looming deadlines (33 percent), attaining work-life balance (22 percent), and unrealistic expectations of managers (22 percent) as top worries.
“Business is moving faster than ever, and employees can feel the crunch when it comes to imminent deadlines,” said Bill Driscoll, a District President for Accountemps. “Workers shouldn’t suffer in silence. They can tap internal resources for help or seek advice from their managers to ensure they meet work expectations, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”
Stressors are to be found nearly everywhere. Darin Marques, sales manager for developer Ascaya Inc. in Henderson, said that for him, a primary stressor is “the deluge of communication. With technology today, people can call your office, text you, email, even Facebook message you. Learning to manage all the communication you receive is key.”
Leo Bletnitsky, founder and president of LBA Networking, said the most stress-inducing parts of being in the workplace, either as an owner/manager or an employee, can be viewed in two parts. One, the “tiny minority of clients that should be fired for not respecting and valuing the services we provide.” And two, “When a good staff member starts dropping the ball, causing others to have to pick up the slack.”
“I’d say the biggest stressors are when the unknowns occur,” said Jennifer Braster, managing partner of the law firm of Naylor & Braster. “For example, you know you have XYZ deadlines coming up, but then something comes up and throws a wrench into things. It could be that your child is sick, or you have a one-hour meeting run five hours.”
A stressed employee can have detrimental effects on the department or company, Driscoll said, including decreased morale and productivity and increased burnout and turnover. Managers should look for signs their staff is overworked — like missed deadlines or excessive overtime — and talk to employees to pinpoint triggers and implement stress-relieving solutions.
The Accountemps survey also found that younger workers are feeling much of the pressure: 64 percent of professionals between the ages of 18 and 34 admitted to being stressed on the job, compared with 59 percent of workers age 35-54, and 35 percent of respondents 55 and older. In addition, more men (57 percent) than women (47 percent) said they were stressed at work on a daily basis.
Beating Stress
Respondents told Accountemps about several ways they combat stress at work — including daily exercise such as yoga, walking and running, or enjoying time with friends or a significant other after work. Engaging in a hobby, listening to music and taking vacation time were other stress-relieving tactics employed. Other recommendations to come out of the research included:
• Protecting your time. Staying organized is crucial to finishing tasks. Rather than trying to juggle two things at once, schedule periods throughout the day to focus on key assignments.
• Helping to prioritize. Meet with team members individually to help prioritize workloads and set realistic expectations about project deadlines and desired outcomes. If there is too much work to go around, bring in temporary professionals to lighten the workload for full-time employees.
• Speaking up. If your to-do list seems never-ending, you may have too much on your plate. Talk to your manager about your workload and ask for help.
• Offering resources. Encourage your team to take advantage of stress-management webinars, wellness tips or programs, and yoga or meditation classes available to them. Set a good example by utilizing these offerings as well as employee break rooms or lounges.
• Taking a break. Feeling overwhelmed during the day? Step away from your desk, go for a walk or grab a snack. If you can’t get outside, look away from the computer and focus on a nonwork-related activity for a few minutes.
• Making it fun. The job may be serious, but laughter and camaraderie can lead to greater work satisfaction and happiness. Look for ways to lighten the mood through social activities, staff celebrations or office decorations.
“I think everyone handles stress differently, and it is hard to say what the right or wrong way is,” said Tya Mathis-Coleman of the Clark County School District. “It depends on the situation. Communication can most definitely help reduce stress, and it is important to make sure that you are great when it comes to time management. Being a planner helps eliminate job-related stress for me. I plan ahead, and try to be ahead in all situations.”
Alleviating stress, Ascaya’s Marques maintained, is crucial. “The more stressed you are, the less likely you are to think clearly. It opens you up to knee-jerk reactions and potential bad decisions. Time blocking really helps with this. It’s proven that stress can turn into depression, and people don’t perform well in either condition. Stress and depression affect every part of your work, particularly communication with clients — and clients can feel when you are stressed. It makes them feel stressed, too, which makes their experience with the company unpleasant.”
Like ripples on a pond, the effects of stress radiate outward, he added. “There also are tangible results, like less attention to detail. This can affect the customer’s purchase. Real estate is a stressful business because there are so many pieces to a home purchase, and deadlines for all of them. It is critical that the real estate executive remains calm to ensure that the process goes smoothly.”
It can go even further. Colleagues’ stress can have a trickle-down effect, Marques said.
“It starts at the top and moves down from there,” he said. “People don’t look forward to going to work. It’s difficult not to take work stress home. If you are stressed at work, you take it home and it continues to escalate.”
The most important lesson Marques has learned about managing stress, he said, was time blocking.
“I block out certain times of my day to check email, return and make calls, participate in meetings and handle recurring items,” he said. “I have open blocks of time to address new items and projects. I also get up early and exercise before work. Then, when I get to the office, I’m awake and ready for the day.”
Marques has found value in scheduling one-on-one time with colleagues “to let them know their concerns have value and are important enough for you to listen to them.” Another strategy is to “help train your team to focus on solutions during a stressful situation, instead of focusing on the problem. Then, when they have a concern and you are not immediately available, they can focus on finding solutions to bring to you, instead of just the problem itself.”
Bletnitsky said communication “absolutely” plays a role in alleviating workplace anxiety. His advice? “Try to communicate perceived issues to problem clients. Sometimes that can save the relationship. Keep communication going. People are willing to work harder than normal, but need to know the rainbow is coming. Let staff know that while stuff happens, as long as they communicate their personal issues, we’ll have their back.”
For some, however, the simplest solutions are the best. The preferred way to deal with stress, Braster concluded, is to “take a minute, breathe, and prioritize.”