Stress is a natural part of human existence, even in the workplace. April is National Stress Awareness Month, so now is the time to start thinking about how you can help better support your team as they experience the natural stresses of their jobs. As a business owner or manager, there are ways to help “de-stress” your work environment so that your employees feel healthier and more supported. Read more to learn a few easy ideas below!

Host a Group Clean-Up Day

Messy desks or workstations are bound to kill productivity over time. When your employees are working in a scattered or disorganized workspace, they can be distracted or overwhelmed more easily. Organize a group clean-up day to tidy up the office as a team. 

Sponsor a Team Fitness Challenge

Exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress! Why not try hosting a team fitness challenge? Exercise is a great initiative to encourage your team to prioritize their health and wellness. Please keep in mind that a team fitness challenge should be inclusive of everyone’s abilities.

Promote a Mindful Minute

Small habits can lead to remarkable results. That’s why you can start small when it comes to helping your employees deal with workplace stress. One idea is to create a “mindful minute” for your team. For one or several minutes per day, have everyone stop what they are doing and focus on breathing. This small initiative can help them refocus and be more productive. Here is a link to a Calm breathing bubble that takes less than one minute to use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxayUBd6T7M.

Bring Pets to Work

Nothing will turn a stressed mood around faster than the presence of a furry friend. If your organization can manage it, allow your team to rotate bringing their dogs to work with them. Or an alternative is to contact your local animal shelter to ask if they will bring dogs in for visitation during work hours. 

Volunteer as a Group

Sometimes a great “de-stressor” is to get out of the office and be helpful to others. An excellent way to spend some time away from your desk is to give back to your community. Have your team coordinate a volunteer day at a local women, homeless, animal shelter, or food bank. It’s a terrific way to be a “go-giver,” promote positivity and empower your team members.

Dress Down Days

If you work in a strict corporate office, it’s nice to have a dress-down day every once in a while. Allow your employees to dress down for Casual Fridays or even just one day per month. 

Encourage Stretch Breaks

Stretching is so important and often an overlooked exercise. Your organization can promote stretch breaks throughout the day so that your team can have a chance to step away from their desk and focus on themselves for a moment.

HR Anew. New Ideas. Expert Knowledge.™

Did you know that HR Anew has been helping employers with solutions for more than twenty-three years to address the pain and challenges identified in this article? We are here to help.

HR Anew helps teams be engaged, productive, performers, and fulfilled, which results in organizations growing and scaling. Connect with us when you want innovative ideas and solutions to address the topics above. Or, if you’re going to optimize digital resources, strategy, and training in diversity, equity, equality, inclusion, and belonging; manager and employee education and training, employee relations and workplace investigations, and human resource advisory services, we can help with this too. To help your company hire, inspire, and retain top talent, schedule a meeting with us at https://meetings.hubspot.com/deborah96.