What initiatives does your company implement during Stress Awareness Week? Stress is a complicated physiological and psychological response when we perceive that our demands and challenges exceed our available resources. It is a natural coping mechanism that enables us to adapt to everyday circumstances. When faced with a stressful situation, our body activates a flurry of biological reactions commonly known as the stress response. This response prepares us for a fight-or-flight reaction.
This is even more complicated when someone is going through stress due to work-related issues, as it can affect them in various aspects of their personal and professional lives. This article discusses the consequences of stress at work and how they can be prevented with the implementation of a mental well-being solution.
Raising awareness during Stress Awareness Week
Although poor mental well-being should be addressed all year round, for organisations that don’t, Stress Awareness Week is a good way to begin. Here are some initiatives that can be used during Stress Awareness Week:
- Workshops: Organisations can invite psychologists to give workshops on how to tackle poor mental health with different tools. This can be done by doing in-person activities, writing activities or interactive ones. Doing activities in a group but submitting answers or questions anonymously can help employees loosen up and open up about mental well-being issues.
- Well-being challenges: Organise well-being challenges or competitions that encourage employees to engage in stress-reducing activities, such as meditation, exercise, or healthy eating. Recognize and reward participants for their efforts.
- Internal campaigns: Launch internal communication campaigns through emails and newsletters to share information, resources and success stories related to stress management. Encourage open dialogue and destigmatise discussions on mental health.
- Feedback and surveys: Collect feedback from employees about their stress levels, the effectiveness of existing stress management programs, and what additional support they may need. Use this information to improve your strategies.
By taking a proactive approach to raise awareness during Stress Awareness Week and throughout the year, organisations can demonstrate their commitment to their employees’ mental well-being and contribute to a healthier, more productive work environment.
Consequences of stress at work
The consequences of stress at work can have a significant impact on both employees and the organisation as a whole. Without a proper mental well-being solution, it can be difficult to spot these signs, which is why it is crucial to remain alert throughout the year, not just during Stress Awareness Week. Here are some of the indicators that employees may be suffering from stress at work:
1. Increased levels of sick leave
One of the most evident signs of work-related stress is an increase in mental health sick leave. Stress can weaken the immune system and make people more prone to illness. When employees feel constantly stressed, they are more likely to be absent from work due to physical or mental health problems.
2. Absenteeism
Stress can lead to increased absenteeism, as employees may find it difficult to cope with their responsibilities or may simply need a break to recharge. Frequent and unexplained absences can be a red flag, indicating that employees are struggling with stress.
3. Less productivity and engagement
Stressed employees often experience a decline in their productivity and engagement levels. They may find it difficult to concentrate on their tasks, make decisions, or stay motivated. This decreased performance can result in lower quality work and missed deadlines.
4. Higher staff turnover
A work environment filled with chronic stress is likely to experience higher turnover rates. Employees who constantly face stress may seek alternative employment opportunities in more supportive and less stressful workplaces. High turnover not only generates recruitment and training costs, but also disrupts team dynamics and organisational stability.
5. Burnout
Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to burnout, a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion. Burnout is characterised by a deep sense of discouragement and lack of motivation, which can be very harmful to both the individual and the organisation.
Preventing stress
Organisations play a key role when it comes to protecting their employees’ mental well-being. By implementing preventative measures, employees are less likely to develop mental health issues related to stress. According to ifeel’s 2023 Mental Well-being Trends Report, “60% of employees are aware of how their symptomatology (level of consciousness perceived by the patient) affects their life”. By increasing access to mental health tools and resources, so will the awareness of each employee, and problems can be addressed in a timely manner.
This statistic underlines the disposition of employees who have access to the necessary information and resources to seek treatment for their problems. It also underlines that companies have the opportunity to give greater priority to prevention as a central element of their strategy to improve their employees’ mental well-being. Stress Awareness Week can be a good key date to start implementing preventative strategies that will help companies and employees in the long term.
Stress Awareness Week and mental well-being solutions for organisations
Ifeel is a mental well-being solution for companies, designed by its team of expert psychologists, with one primary objective: to help companies put employee health at the top of their strategic pyramid when they want to boost sustainable productivity.
Thanks to this collaboration, the people in charge of human resources departments can receive personalised, data-driven advice on how to properly manage the different needs that their team members may or may not have and be more efficient in boosting their psychological well-being.
Moreover, this solution offers employees a holistic mental health care service structured at different levels according to their needs. This solution includes, if required, online psychological therapy with a psychologist specialised in cases like theirs. Try our mental well-being solution now to see how it could help you.
We hope you found this post about Stress Awareness Week interesting. If you would like more information about our mental well-being solution for organisations, simply request it, and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
