Today, many people work high-stress, high-responsibility jobs that affect their mental health. The toll that comes along with such jobs can affect your physical health as much as your mental health.
Oftentimes, such jobs entail managing others, handling hazardous materials, operating dangerous machinery, or handling someone’s health.
Dealing with such stress in an unhealthy way can shorten your career and negatively impact your quality of life.
However, employers can help protect their employees from unnecessary stress and negativity.
This is only possible if they provide resources and willingly make changes to make the workplace more positive. That kind of change doesn’t happen overnight, but it won’t take long if everyone works together.
Follow along as we explore how stress reduction is possible through training and awareness, no matter how many responsibilities you have.
Create a Comfortable Environment
Many employers fail to see how the environment their employees work in has a lot to do with their performance.
An uncomfortable environment can not only limit someone’s performance, but it can also negatively affect their mental health.
Bleak lighting, drab designs, unsafe equipment, and uncomfortable workstations can create an unnecessarily stressful environment.
Employers owe it to their employees to make their workplaces as comfortable and safe as possible.
Sometimes, that entails replacing unsafe, uncomfortable equipment and even redesigning offices and workstations.
Everything from natural lighting and plants to productive colors can create a comfortable environment.
Prioritize Workplace Safety
Stress is a common part of working a hazardous job. Whether you’re working with chemicals, heavy machinery, or medical equipment, workplace dangers can make anyone feel anxious.
That’s why businesses and corporations must do their due diligence and prioritize workplace safety training.
It’s easy to feel uncomfortable if you can’t trust that your coworkers will handle hazardous materials and equipment safely.
Not only does safety training help prevent injuries, but it can also reduce anxiety and stress among the staff.
The last thing anyone wants to do is worry about whether or not their coworkers will injure themselves and you.
For example, everyone working in a plant should know how to read chemical hazard labels. The lower the risk, the more easily you can feel comfortable while you’re on the clock.
Offer Stress Management Training
Corporations and small businesses alike must consider the mental health of their employees.
That’s especially true when they expect their employees to give great performances under stressful circumstances. One way to offset this is to offer stress management training to their employees.
Stress management training entails teaching people how to cope with stress and anxiety in healthy ways.
For example, they can teach employees how to identify stressors and triggers. Some people can also benefit from grounding techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, to handle anxiety.
Sometimes, this requires bringing in outside help to host a workshop for the staff. It’s worth the time and money, as a team cannot effectively work together if everyone is handling stress in unhealthy ways.
Balance Work and Personal Life
Naturally, people work to pay their bills, eat, and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. However, this is hard to achieve when working long hours and unpredictable schedules.
This makes enjoying a balance between work and personal life feel impossible to achieve.
That is true whether you’re a heavy machine operator, a certified public accountant, or a Doctor of Pharmacy graduate starting your career.
Employees and employers must communicate and reach an understanding about balancing work life and personal life. You must advocate for yourself if you find that your schedule makes managing stress feel unachievable.
This may even open your employer’s eyes to the fact that the current scheduling protocol doesn’t favor employees’ mental health.
Finding a way to work enough hours to pay the bills without sacrificing your mental health and free time is essential. That’s especially true when working in high-stress, high-responsibility jobs.
Provide Helpful Resources
Sadly, many people wait far too long to get help managing their stress and anxiety because of a lack of resources.
The best way to do this is to establish Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). EAPs provide resources for employees to get help for everything from financial issues and stress to addiction treatment.
Offering such programs makes employees feel seen, valued, and understood. Businesses and corporations can make their staff much more satisfied and even improve their performance by offering EAPs.
Naturally, people are more productive when they don’t feel helpless and bogged down by mental health struggles and addiction.
Confidentiality is key, so employees can feel comfortable coming forward about their struggles. People can also use this program to voice concerns regarding workplace conflicts and struggles they suspect their coworkers have.
The more you help your staff, the more easily they can overcome their struggles and give the best possible performance.
The Workplace Doesn’t Have to Be So Stressful
There’s no reason to feel that your workplace is full of insurmountable stress. Sure, stress is natural for high-responsibility jobs, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to drown in anxiety.
Businesses must use their time and money to provide resources and establish programs to help their employees.
Thorough training and workplace safety refreshers can work wonders to ease everyone’s minds.
A great workplace performance is only possible in a safe, empathetic, and productive environment. That’s ultimately up to employers to provide via resources and programs.