April is Stress Awareness Month so, for businesses of all kinds, there’s no time like the present to review working practices and procedures to ensure that employee health and wellbeing is properly supported across the board.
It’s essential that any work-related stress is managed appropriately because these feelings can quickly spiral and become overwhelming, increasing the risks of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, which can then lead to burnout… which can have severe consequences if not addressed.
For business owners and team leaders unsure of where to begin, here are just four tips from the ACT team to help you manage stress more effectively. And, as ever, if you have any further questions or need any further advice, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
Recognise the signs of stress
There are various signs of stress to be on alert for, including breathing difficulties, irritability, panic attacks, fatigue and insomnia, blurry vision and so on, as well as difficulty making decisions, difficulty concentrating, problems with memory, snapping at people, restlessness, crying, smoking or drinking too much and becoming withdrawn.
Understand what causes stress
Identifying potential sources of stress is essential in preventing it from becoming problematic.
For businesses, stress at work can arise due to poor working conditions, too many or conflicting demands, inadequate or insufficient training, bullying in the workplace, a lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities, a lack of control over decisions or how and when work is done, and a lack of support from managers and others.
Complete stress risk assessments
It is advisable to carry out a stress risk assessment, where you identify hazards, assess the risks, work out how to control them (or note down what you’re already doing), record your findings and then review the controls.
Regular reviews of controls are important as they may become ineffective over time, while changes in the workplace could lead to new risks. Your employees may also identify problems that you might not have considered, while accidents or near misses can also reveal weak areas that could adversely affect staff mental health.
If you’ve already identified that a worker is under stress, talking to them about the pressure they’re facing can be beneficial, helping them reflect and think about what aspects of their job are contributing to how they’re feeling.
You can discuss problem areas and sources of stress, direct them towards the appropriate internal resources for support and ask them what changes they could make or that they’d like to see to help make a difference.
Take the NEBOSH Managing Stress at Work certificate
If you want to take your stress management provision to the next level and demonstrate to your staff members that you take their health and wellbeing seriously, you could look into the NEBOSH Managing Stress at Work certificate to see how it could be of use.
The course content includes addressing workplace stress, understanding your legal requirements, identifying the six aspects of workplace design that can cause stress and how to develop suitable interventions to reduce the causes and effects of stress.
If you’d like to build your health and safety knowledge further, our NEBOSH General Certificate course is a great place to start. It’s designed for anyone looking to develop practical skills and gain a respected qualification in workplace safety. To find out more, get in touch with the ACT team today.
