Stress is a frequent phenomenon, not only in life but also at work. The sheer number of cases and tasks, plans and reports, associated problems, and turmoil are a part of the array of stress factors that can affect employees, and it cannot help but be worrying. At the same time, not only ordinary people who want to work and avoid stressful situations are concerned about this issue but also many executives, HR managers, and other professionals around the world. For this reason, the concept of stress management, which goes side by side with the problem of coping with stress in the workplace, is now becoming more common.
When stressed, it can be challenging to concentrate, shift, and distribute attention, and even a general inhibition or complete disorganization of activities can occur. However, skills and habits remain unchanged and may replace conscious action. Under stress, perceptual and memory errors and inadequate reactions to unexpected stimuli may occur. In some people, minor stress can cause a surge of energy, increased activity, particular clarity and clarity of thought, and scenic emotions. However, prolonged stress is always a negative factor that negatively affects a person’s productivity. This is why stress management is essential in businesses that want to maintain the quality performance of their employees.
The process of stress management takes place along three primary lines: preventing stressors, reducing stress from stressors that cannot be eliminated, and organizing a system to cope with the effects of stressors. Managing stress at the organizational level involves changing the organizational climate and providing anti-stress support to employees through specific programs. Understanding the adverse effects of stress is of particular importance at this level, as it is the only way for managers to monitor stress and develop measures to prevent the effects of stressors.
Creating a favorable organizational climate is one of the essential tasks of effective stress management in an organization, as it is perhaps the best stress prevention in general. Based on this fact, the leadership of many organizations today is taking all measures to create an atmosphere of trust and respect for one another within their teams. In order to achieve this, such methods as a feedback system via corporate communications are customary. In addition, team and project forms of work organization are used.
Another stress management factor at the organizational level is to give staff more responsibility for their performance. However, this factor will only work in conjunction with a clear division of function and workload to prevent under- and overwork. If employees decide for themselves what and how they do their work, the adverse effects of stress will be considerably reduced (Holman et al., 2018). Another great way to prevent stress in the workplace is to introduce flexible working hours. Minimizing stress and increasing job satisfaction can be achieved by allowing at least some employees to arrange their own schedules based on production needs and job functions. In addition, social support for employees provided by supervisors and cohesive teams is a significant organizational factor that can alleviate stress at work. Many researchers believe that they act as a buffer between people and stress (Holman et al., 2018). With the right approach, a favorable climate can be an effective measure for the prevention and mitigation of stressors and a way to relaxation and recovery.
Reference
Holman, D., Johnson, S., & O’Connor, E. (2018). Stress management interventions: Improving subjective psychological well-being in the workplace. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being (pp. 153-221). DEF Publishers.