Help Your Employees Fight Stress, Part 2
Work and stress often go hand-in-hand, but find out how you can prevent exhaustion.
Helping employees develop stress-management skills will helpthem cope when busy times hit. Stress-reduction techniques can berelatively simple. "I teach people to relax and count theirown breaths as they breathe deeply, for instance," says AllanRabinowitz, owner of Stress Strategies Resources in Los Angeles."It takes only a few second, but it works." Master thattechnique, and then teach it to employees for them to use whentheir stress levels jump off the meter.
Other proven techniques include going for a walk, engaging insome brisk exercise (such as doing 20 push-ups), meditating on yourfavorite vacation spot or counting down slowly from 100 to zero.People can learn to relax, and every employee should know a fewrelaxation techniques they can depend on in tough moments.
A good idea is to post four or five stress-busting techniqueswhere employees can see them, such as in the break room or kitchen.Ask them to add ideas they find useful--and encourage all employeesto put stress-reduction techniques into practice whenever the needarises. As in most workplace situations, communication is crucialto keeping stress in check. "If employees feel there areavenues [of communication], their stress goes down," saysVenetta Campbell, a psychology professor at Mt. St. Mary'sCollege in Los Angeles. "You can get good results just byencouraging employees to get together over a brown-bag lunch once aweek to share concerns and to relate stress-management tools thatwork for them."
Looking for more stress-busting tips? Try http://www.jobstresshelp.com anonline consulting resource developed by psychotherapist Bill DeLenothat provides loads of free information.
