Reducing Stress in the Post-Pandemic Workplace

Since the pandemic’s start, one thing that hasn’t subsided is the stress leaders face within their work environment. From the instant start of remote work to staffing shortages, leaders across all industries and management levels are experiencing high stress levels. Employees are also experiencing high-stress levels as a result of staffing shortages. These shortages are contributing to their high workloads from the constant shifts in staff moving positions, jobs, and companies. During these high-stress times, your work environment can make all the difference between making it through and your breaking point. 

One way to help with these stress levels is organization and having a plan. Below are tips for managers and employees to help ease their workloads: 

• Plan Out Your Week: Nothing adds stress to your life faster than a laundry list of things to do and the worry of how to accomplish it all. Creating a scheduled ‘to-do’ list can help relieve some of the stress by putting a plan in place on how to accomplish the tasks at hand. Make sure to include in your scheduled meetings, project due dates, and wiggle room to ensure success. With a plan in place, you are more likely to accomplish the tasks and lighten your stress level. 
• Destress with Wiggle Room: The unexpected can add stress to your life and negate any possible plan you may have had in a heartbeat and be quite overwhelming. One way to combat this is to ensure your plan and day include wiggle room. Add 10 minutes between meetings on your schedule. Actually, schedule time for the unexpected. When you do this but end up not needing it, I am sure you can always find a way or task to fill it. Or take a break and see the outside for that moment. Knowing you have time in your schedule will help you decompress from the heavy workload.   
• Communicate and Ask for Help: When all is said and done, we do need a way to decompress and get help. When it is possible, ask for help from a co-worker or even your boss. If it is the difference between completing an important task or not, it is usually the right move. Some people see this as they failed to ask for help. Nothing could be more incorrect. Asking for help shows confidence and your drive to see the team or task succeed. In my book, this is a sign of a strong leader. 
• Talk to a Trusted Source: Remember, we are social beings. We were not intended to fight the battle alone. Connect with people who are supportive, caring, and understand your stressors. Talk over the challenges with them. Most people like to help. A supportive network of caring friends, family members, and co-workers can help you put your stressors into perspective.
• Leave Work at Work: We live in an ever-connected world. If you work at home, it is even harder to disconnect. It is possible to work all hours of the day and night. Don’t. Figure out a way to turn off, tune out, and leave work at work. Close your laptop at home. This may require better organization or, occasionally, just learning to say no to a request that will add more to your already overflowing list of responsibilities.

While we’re on the topic of leaving work at work, don’t email co-workers late at night or early in the morning . . . it’s annoying and adds to their stress levels.

• Take Care of Yourself: Some stress is good. It can energize you and motivate you to achieve goals in areas that are important to you. However, prolonged stress will reduce your coping ability and, over time, lead to burnout which can impact your health. If you don’t take good care of yourself physically, it’s easy for the everyday stressors to beat up on you in your less-than-optimal state of well-being.

No one is suggesting that workplace stressors are going away. However, you can take control of how you react to the everyday stressors. Use the above tips we’ve shared to put things into perspective and keep your stress levels healthy for optimal health and performance. Remember, you only get one shot at this thing called life, so make the most of it.