How to improve wellbeing at work: 5 tips to reduce stress on your team

The intrigue around how managers and their teams are approaching the topic of workplace wellbeing has increased over the last year. It’s no secret that there’s a strong correlation between teams who prioritize emotional, physical and mental wellbeing, and impactful work. Ultimately it boils down to learning the warning signs pointing towards your teams wellbeing. Remember, managers need to support employees and learn helpful, applicable methods for a healthy team.

In fact 39% of Officevibe users have expressed that their work is taking a negative toll on their work related stress level.  

It’s never too late to do something good for yourself, and for your team. We’re exploring: what it means for managers to prioritize employee wellbeing, and how to do so while also improving employee engagement.

How to understand the main causes of stress and overwhelm

Our team experienced indications of high stress this past spring with the onset of remote work becoming the norm. Without skipping a beat, this prompted us to pivot into action. 

Our senior leadership team decided it was paramount for us to walk the talk and use Officevibe’s pulse survey tool to check-in with our team. Using the data we gathered, it was clear that there were several key contributors linked to low employee engagement and employee wellbeing. 

Here’s how we got to the bottom of stress on our teams: 

1. Listen and understand

Properly understand the situation. Identify which factors are contributing to employee stress. (We used our Custom Poll templates dedicated to wellness to easily survey our teams).

2. Offer visibility on results

Share the results with everyone to provide a sense of transparency. It’s important for us to have each employee give their input on concrete action items. 

3. Make action planning collaborative

Brainstorm on action items as a team, allowing each employee to be part of the solution. In our case, each one of us had access to a shared Miro board. Here, all the main topics and ideas from the Custom Poll were gathered. Each employee could then participate by owning their schedule, comment, and discuss specific ideas on the board.

4. Give employees a say in the next steps

Let every employee vote on the action items they feel would most benefit the stress and wellness levels of the company.

5. Commit to next steps

Results of the vote demonstrated concrete areas where we could concentrate our efforts. We agreed to action out each of these. This included:

• A time management workshop to amplify mental wellbeing
• Employee fitness challenge 
• A team-based company virtual event (we chose a murder mystery party)
• A commitment to achieve strategic objectives
• Keeping track of progress: Measure the change you implement. You can do this with our simple Officevibe Pulse Surveys that track metrics like “Wellness”

As we put our people-first approach into action, we quickly turned things around. We came up with solutions that fit our needs and increased workplace wellbeing. Taking the time to listen to employees via our pulse surveys, then following up with deeper and more meaningful discussions in 1-on-1s let them know that we support each other. 

❤️ Check out our full team story here!

5 tips to help you build a workplace wellbeing program

Our recent Officevibe survey results found that 22% of employees feel as though their work is taking a toll on their personal life. When we take a closer look, it’s noticeable how remote work plays an important role in this data. After all, we are no longer working from home, rather, living at work.

Societal norms condition us to think that taking care of our wellbeing is a luxury and that work-related stress is “normal.” Emotional Intelligence experts at Roche Martin indicated that promoting wellbeing within teams increases productivity and motivation, builds morale and decreases work-related stress.

How can managers find applicable solutions as a team to make things better?

Lead by example

Deconstruct preconceived stigmas around keeping emotions to yourself. Encourage teams to talk about how they feel. Start by being vulnerable about what has been most stressful for you. 

Brainstorm together

Facilitate a brainstorming session with remote collaboration tools (like Miro). Express ideal states of wellbeing and how that is defined by the team.

Get creative

Let them know that nothing is off the table. Encourage creativity on your team to achieve a state of wellbeing for a more balanced approach to their day-to-day. 

Experiment with what works, then iterate

Set the baseline that it’s okay if you don’t get it right on the first try. Create a guiding north star of what is the best possible outcome, and break this down into smaller achievable wellbeing initiatives to test over time. 

Keep it human

Our poll results demonstrate that 16% of users feel as though someone would not say or do something helpful if they noticed they were in a state of distress.  Taking time to intentionally connect with one another not only helps for accountability, it builds connection, trust and psychological safety.

We all want to see each other succeed, luckily there are several ways to let teams know that you value their overall health and find ways to encourage them towards a more balanced life. 

How to build workplace wellbeing habits that last & drive continuous performance 

We’ve learned the root causes and concerns around employee isolation, overwhelm and stress and how this can be amplified in a remote environment. We also took a look at how we can create a shift in perspective that works for teams. It’s time to understand how to keep the focus on wellbeing as a priority and make that a long lasting value. 

66% of Officevibe users feel as though their company offers the support they need to deal with work-related stress

It’s no wonder that those who feel this level of support have seen a boost in engagement and productivity. Yet, wellbeing is not a one-stop- shop, nor is it one-size-fits-all. It’s a habit that needs to be baked into everyday expectations.

During times of crisis or uncertainty, employees crave the following: 

Stability

We tend to cling on to sensations of stability in times of high stress. A manager can integrate a sense of stability in a state of flux by keeping 1-on-1 meetings consistent. This way, employees know they have a consistent touchpoint with their manager. 

Clarity and visibility

Over communicate and clarify expectations often. Offer visibility to your team as often as possible when it comes to shifts in strategy or changes in the business. Be clear on how this affects them.

Flexibility

Learn what flexibility means to your team, and how you can help facilitate their wellbeing by being open about meeting schedules, deadlines, and big projects. Find a system that adheres to healthy habits and fosters creativity, growth and development. 

Appreciation

Celebrate small wins. Recognize employees who offer a helping hand to others who might be struggling with stress, amplifying that we are all in this together. 

Keeping our wellbeing at the heart of what we do allows our team to bring a human approach to our teams and to our projects. When we prioritize our health, we feel supported. Understanding the resources available to us enables us to feel a sense of calm in the eye of the storm.

These habits are proven to have massive impacts on companies with a positive culture. Remember that it doesn’t have to be complex, simplicity is key, all it takes is someone to listen and lead.

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