De-stressing the workplace: An HR Manager's Guide

A number of studies have been conducted by academics on managing stress at work. However, with the economy slumping, stress is on the rise again. There are very few nation-wide studies in India that survey employee stress. A bad economy exacerbates fears that lead to heightened instances of stress and anxiety amongst employees of India Inc. According to a recent study, over 89% of Indians and 95% of millennials are stressed out. This is the world’s most alarming statistic. 

Just about 35% of young adults report good sleep quality - another barometer of stress tolerance. Devices are eating into health and fitness time. Indians are also more reluctant to approach a counsellor or psychiatrist for help due to the stigma attached to these problems. 

Stress manifests as physical ailments. It amplifies non-communicable diseases like early-onset diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, breathing disorders and immunity problems. It increases the incidence of panic attacks and pseudo-heart attacks. 

Stress affects performance. Managers are more likely to procrastinate small decisions under stressful situations. Stress is like fighting an invisible enemy. It reduces employee involvement and efficiency. Stress limits intellectual output and makes employees stick to the ground or limit themselves to the rule book. Creativity and extra effort are off the table. Organisations with high-stress levels will slowly stall and become incompetent.

Extreme cases of stress warrant medical attention. HR managers need to be on the lookout for symptoms of stress in the workplace. The following rules act as a guideline for a stable de-stressing policy in your workplace. 

1. Have a hobby workshop in place. Encourage your employees to take up a hobby and keep at it for a few minutes every day. Employers can arrange for workshops on gardening, music etc., at regular intervals. You can also have talented employees coach other employees. That would also provide opportunities for intra-organisational networking, and boost team creativity.
2. Design a buddies programme, where people in stressful jobs like sales and marketing, or operations can share their day to day problems with a colleague and formulate strategies to overcome the fear of non-performance.
3. Train people to observe the signs and symptoms of stress and what they should do to overcome such feelings. Prepare a stress map of your organisation. Identify the bottlenecks and make a strategy to prevent high-stress situations in the workplace. 
4. Encourage at least one device-free day every week. Devices take away a lot of time that would otherwise be spent interacting with friends and family. There is nothing like a cup of coffee or a few beers with friends to kill stress. Networking on devices is a subconscious reminder of your distance and loneliness. Devices also strain the eyes and the brain cannot figure out the day-night cycles and adjust its activity. An overstrained brain is a major cause of stress and anxiety.
5. Sleep for six to eight hours continuously every day. Sleep is a great stress buster. It helps you relax both physically and mentally. Healthy sleep is your window to a healthy life.
6. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals causes acidity and uneasiness. Over a period of time, it creates a lot of problems. Ideally, you should have a light meal every three hours. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast is believed to be the leading cause of diabetes in the world.
7. Try to read a book every month. Reading helps you unwind, irrespective of whether you remember what you read at all. It helps you crack conversations in social situations and widens your canvas.
8. Have an in-house counsellor for employees. Once in a while, we all feel the steam in our brains. In that case, employees should know whom to call and share their problems with. Have an official counselling policy in place.
9. Encourage your team members to take up counselling. You should have a corporate policy that does not stigmatise or victimise people who are highly prone to stress and anxiety.
10. Treat de-stressing as a core activity. It brings incalculable difference to your topline and bottom line by reducing absenteeism and improving employee contribution to growth and leadership.

It is important for us to attack the root cause of the problem. Stress is going to be India’s largest nightmare in the decades to come.