Five tips on reducing stress levels in your team and increasing productivity

High stress levels, too much work, being overwhelmed with tasks and a work-life imbalance. Many employees are faced with these problems, which, of course, is reflected in the productivity of the whole team. However, in the long run, high stress levels and performance pressure cause significant reductions in productivity and may even lead to health problems and burnout. How to fight against stress in your team and have subordinates who are productive and whose working pace is sustainable? Here are five tips.

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Do not support workaholism

As Strategy & Business states, many managers support workaholism among their employees without even realising it. For instance, they praise employees who work over the weekend, they give employees tasks and deadlines that cannot be met in standard working hours, or they support competition among employees. Do not be such a manager; instead, support a healthy and sustainable working schedule.

Give employees the tools to achieve a work-life balance

One of the most common sources of frustration and stress among employees is an inability to balance work and personal life. Try to support your employees in this sense, offering them flexibility, home office, and other tools that will enable them to achieve a better work-life balance.

Lower the pressure on performance

When motivating and assessing employees, many managers focus primarily on quantity and performance. The problem is that this attitude often leads to an unhealthy working environment in which volume and quantity play the crucial role, not quality and sustainability. Reduce the pressure on performance, focus on quality of work and introduce other parameters in evaluation of employees than just numbers and volume.

Introduce systemic changes that reduce the workload

Overloading of employees is often caused by bad organisation or their having to handle too much work. It is the manager's task to optimise these two parameters if possible, which is why you should try to implement systemic changes that lower employees' workload.

Actively support relaxation and mental health awareness

Last but not least, relaxation and rest are necessary prerequisites of a healthy working environment. Let your employees know how important physical and psychological recovery is, actively support individual mental health awareness and help employees with their psychological well-being.

 

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Article source Strategy+Business - a U.S. management magazine
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