Managing Stress at Work - Navitas Professional Services

Identifying workplace stress

A worker can experience physical, mental, and emotional reactions to their work environment. Their response to stressors at work may be positive or negative for their well-being.

Stress is a normal response to the demands of work. It can be beneficial in short bursts, helping you stay alert and perform at your best. However, prolonged or excessive job stress can be damaging to your mental health.

Managing workplace stress

Best practice for managing stress in the workplace is to prevent and minimise stress before it becomes a risk to health and safety.

1.     Workplace counselling and management program

One practical solution to combating workplace stress is by using professional workplace support services, such as confidential counselling for employees or stress-relief advice seminars. This is mutually beneficial for companies too, considering numerous employee engagement surveys and company culture research studies have come to the same conclusion: happy employees are more productive. 

·     identify the areas within the workplace that are likely to cause stress

• assess the risks to determine which require controls
• control the risks by eliminating or minimising them
• regularly review the controls and their effectiveness
• ensure workers are aware of health and safety policies and procedures.

• provide sufficient information to enable workers to perform tasks competently, including adequate support and resources for decision-making
• provide additional practical assistance when workers are doing challenging tasks
• allow workers sufficient time to perform the tasks assigned and provide suitable equipment which is appropriately maintained
• evaluate and review workers’ competency and capability and provide additional training where needed
• have systems in place to support workers when they are required to make difficult decisions or when there are negative consequences to decisions they have made (e.g. child safety workers)

2.     Rely on both colleges and non-professional networks for support

Having a best friend at work or a trusting relationship with colleagues can be very valuable in managing workplace stress. A colleague is more likely to empathise with work pressures instead of just sympathise, but that is not to say spouses, family members and other loved ones cannot be helpful.

·     having senior management make a commitment to a reduction in workplace stress

• promoting and involving workers in activities to create a mentally healthy workplace culture
• providing regular and respectful performance feedback
• providing training for workers about managing their own stress levels.
• rotate tasks and schedules so that workers are not always assigned jobs that require an extreme focus of their attention

3.     Prioritise a work-life balance

Getting into the habit of balancing your personal and professional life can be the central pillar supporting your stress release journey. Working unsocial hours, especially on Sunday, has a palpable consequence on workers’ lives, overall job satisfaction and feelings of happiness.

·     ensure adequate work breaks and, where practicable, allow some flexibility in the timing of breaks

• strive to make working hours regular and predictable
• avoid encouraging workers to regularly work long hours, take work home or work through breaks
• ensure workers have adequate time management skills and provide training where needed
• promote a work-life balance and encourage workers to take annual leave or holidays when they are due

Related Articles

SafeWork NSW. 2020. Managing work related stress | SafeWork NSW. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/safety-starts-here/mental-health-at-work-the-basics/workplace-stress/managing-work-related-stress. [Accessed 27 June 2020].

RANSW. 2020. How can I manage workplace stress and professional issues in a healthy way? - RANSW. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.relationshipsnsw.org.au/how-can-i-manage-workplace-stress-and-professional-issues-in-a-healthy-way/. [Accessed 27 June 2020].

Workplace stress . 2020. Workplace stress . [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.headsup.org.au/healthy-workplaces/workplace-stressors. [Accessed 27 June 2020].