Practical Stress Management Practices for Executives
It’s no surprise that motivated employees often sacrifice their own well-being to advance in their roles. However, the need to always succeed and exceed expectations has negative consequences, both mentally and physically. As leaders, it is our job to guide our people to create healthy, sustainable work habits that will serve them well in the long run. Therefore, effective, practical stress management methods should be an integral part of a leader’s duties and the foundation of a health-conscious, people-first organizational culture.
Of course, not all stress management strategies can fit into the lives of busy professionals. When you’re in the middle of hour-long meetings, finding time to meditate isn’t the most important thing. For this reason, we have created a blueprint for those who lead high quality teams. These tips include practices that can become part of your employees’ daily lives without disrupting their workflow and, of course, without putting their well-being on the back burner.
The Dangers of Neglecting Your Team’s Health
We have all made sacrifices to pursue our goals. But, sacrificing one’s mental and physical well-being in pursuit of the next milestone is counterproductive in the long run, leading to burnout, loss of productivity, breakdown in communication, and profitability. In addition, tired employees contribute significantly to an unhealthy workplace culture. However, in many cases, burnout is caused by the unhealthy work culture itself.
It is not uncommon to see employers advertise their immediate positions in job postings. And, obviously, most industries are fast by design—you can’t expect a successful sales agency to be slow and steady. However, it is up to the leaders to ensure that these quick measures do not lead to negative consequences. Leaders need to take strong action against organizational processes that cause burnout and ensure that their teams are equipped with the skills and knowledge to combat it when symptoms arise. Finally, being aware of these indicators and the importance of stress management allows leaders to pursue better conditions for their people, create appropriate support channels, and intervene when needed to prevent long-term effects on their team and organization.
Common Burn Symptoms to Look Out for
- Difficulty focusing: Employees may have trouble starting or finishing work, especially if they are multitasking beyond their bandwidth.
- Fatigue: Constant mental and physical fatigue is a surefire way to determine burnout. So, take a closer look—do your employees drag themselves to work every morning?
- Lack of motivation: Prolonged stress can exacerbate feelings of burnout and/or disengagement, leading to lower motivation and morale among employees.
- Decreased productivity and quality of work: Often leading to reduced efficiency, burnout causes employees to struggle to meet deadlines or maintain their quality of work.
- Separation and absence from work: Feeling disengaged at work is a clear sign of disinterest, disengagement, or loss of love for their role.
6 Stress Management Strategies and Habits for Busy Teams
1. Time Management Training
Although time management skills are important to becoming a professional, they are often not part of regular training courses. Effective prioritization, managing distractions, and maintaining self-awareness to see when someone is approaching a bottleneck are important skills that every leader should teach their teams. In addition, time management training equips employees with the skills to handle their workload effectively, maintain a high quality baseline in deliverables, and reduce procrastination or feelings of frustration.
2. Flexible Application
With remote working and hybrid working models in trend, flexible schedules are required. Giving yourself the autonomy to manage personal and work responsibilities can greatly reduce anxiety and burnout. It also allows employees to work at their most productive hours and feel a sense of control over their schedules. This flexibility is not only an indication that you are committed to their personal and professional well-being. You also demonstrate the importance of work-life balance, which should and should always be a priority, no matter how fast-paced your workplace is.
3. Successful Referrals
From the aforementioned point of time management training, effective deployment should be at the top of your list as a team leader. As markets become more demanding and competitive, and work piles up, outsourcing becomes essential to ensure timely and quality work completion. Sometimes, a team member doesn’t have the bandwidth to take on something new, even if they have the best ability to handle a task. Be aware of your team’s limitations when handing out to-do lists by cultivating an open communication environment and transparency. Show your people that there is no refund if they don’t have room to take on additional responsibilities.
4. Healthy Leadership Practices
What qualities should a leader have in order to contribute to the creation of a health-informed workplace? Of course, healthy leadership practices are not the only way to manage stress, but they are directly related to the well-being of your team. To ensure healthy leadership practices, one must focus one’s energy on building a strong connection with all team members, where ownership and accountability, gratitude, and recognition take the most important place. So, take the time to check yourself. Ask yourself, what is your role in this group, and how do you contribute to its success and well-being? What can you do to become a better leader and reduce pressure from your team members?
5. Training in Mental Health Awareness
Your employees can’t do more if their mental health is neglected. Emotions and state of mind are the determining factors when it comes to productivity or efficiency. You can’t expect your team to give 100% if you don’t invest in their emotional and mental well-being. To deal with these areas, an expert is needed, so take the time to consult an expert. Start training your employees in emotion management, awareness, self-awareness, and constructive internal dialogue, highlighting the importance of mental health awareness. While this type of training is still rare these days, it’s a great way to show your team that you care and a good investment in the overall well-being of your people.
6. Mental Health Benefits
To show your commitment to the mental well-being of your employees, try offering them benefits such as practical mental health support, automatic days off, counseling, or mental health days. Such steps give them ways to express themselves freely, feel their emotions, and learn how to ask for help when they need it. They also help develop a broader organizational culture that emphasizes the importance of mental health awareness and respects employees and their contributions, all while prioritizing and investing in their long-term prosperity.
The conclusion
Leaders should do everything in their power to ensure a healthy and stress-free environment for their employees. While those in fast-paced industries don’t always have the luxury of following normal life routines in their busy workdays, there are other, more practical options. The stress management methods mentioned above serve this exact purpose. They are designed to fit into busy schedules and promote mental health awareness in corporate environments to improve productivity and ensure work-life balance among active, dedicated employees.
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