Back to start. Human culture has been drifting, since the second half of the twentieth century, towards a conception much more focused on work and individual effort as ways to achieve success. Since ancient times, the basic norm was “work to live” exchanging part of your strength, time, and skills for a livelihood that would allow us to have a certain standard of living. But little by little this idea has been reversed and now what we usually find is “living to work”. Even as the so-called millennials are once again aware of the importance of free time and the pleasures of life, the work stress of drafting services remains one of the most serious problems today.
Stress is the response of our body to the threats or challenges that arise in our day to day through a physiological response that usually alters our way of thinking or acting. From a genetic point of view, stress was the reaction that made our primitive ancestors prepared for complicated situations and knew how to react and survive (that is why their descendants are more likely to have this type of reaction).
It is precisely this greater capacity for reaction on the part of our mind and body that stress can be highly beneficial for us. The correct levels cause extra activation that can make us think more clearly, focus more on the details, or work faster. The problem comes when stress levels are too high, we feel that we are not able to cope with the threat posed to us and our body becomes blocked. This situation, which can lead to serious diseases and disorders, is known as distress.
Work stress is that caused by situations that arise in the workplace due to an excess of assigned tasks, lack of control, or another series of situations to which the social pressure that exists around the importance of work is added. These are five effective ways to not be overcome by stress.
1. Balance the workload
Overworking wears down employees and lowers their performance. When people feel like they cannot fulfill their responsibilities, their stress level rises. To avoid the above, distribute the tasks of the employees equitably, maintain the appropriate workload for each of them according to their skills, knowledge, and available resources, delegate so that the team members have control over their activities, and set reasonable delivery times.
2. Implement flexible hours and allow remote work
You can evaluate which positions are suitable for these modalities and structure work plans to measure results. In cases that cannot be applied, a flexible schedule can be considered according to your needs.
3. Be clear in internal communication
Employees feel stress when they are not clear about their roles, responsibilities, and do not have a leader to lean on and who can guide them. To avoid this, we recommend presenting an organization chart so that everyone is aware of how the organization operates and to whom they are being informed. Likewise, the objectives of each position can be established so that from the beginning the employees are clear about their roles.
4. Motivate employees
The objective is to generate loyalty towards the company, trusting that it will provide them with the tools to grow professionally. The work team can be motivated by recognizing their contributions and giving opportunities for promotion or professional development; provide courses and training; offer recognition in public and set goals and award rewards upon reaching them.
5. Encourage teamwork
Many employees spend more time with their co-workers than with their own families. That is why it is necessary to ensure that the environment is calm and pleasant; This can be achieved through actions such as encouraging them to support and learn from each other; organize teamwork activities so that they can integrate with each other; distribute tasks and projects among several people so that everyone can contribute their knowledge and reach a common goal.