Nevertheless, there are often things we can all do simply by
articulating a suggestion that will clearly be something that benefits
everyone. These kinds of ideas are actually quite difficult to ignore,
even in the least creative workplaces!10 ways of cutting down stress at work
1 Create conditions where employees have maximum control over
their working lives, for example, by sharing as much information as
possible or by encouraging teams to manage themselves.
2 Offer learning opportunities for all staff, including some time that
can be used for personal development.
3 Ensure that every employee thinks about their goals for the week
ahead a week before, and their goals for tomorrow the day before
or early on the day in question.
4 Establish a culture where it is expected that individuals will ask for
help throughout the day if they are unable to prioritize their own
workload.
5Create flexible work arrangements for as many staff as possible.
6 Encourage employees to take physical exercise, learn yoga, auto-
genic training, meditation, sitting posture, regular breathing, and
other useful techniques, by laying on sessions before and after the
working day or in the lunch break.
7 Encourage people to take breaks by taking them yourself.
8 Encourage everyone to share their one favorite stress buster and
display these as posters or on your intranet.
9 Tell jokes, encourage laughter, and actively seek to find the funny
side in all that goes on at work.
10 Spend the last hour of the day on the least stressful things, for
example, making some nice telephone calls, thinking about the next
day, or tidying up. Give yourself a few minutes of quiet reflection
before you return through your front door at home, by stopping the
car a few miles away, listening to music in the car, train, or bus,
stopping to look at a view if you are walking, and actively “switch-
ing off” your work mind before you “rejoin” your personal world.
Avoid leaving that one last call so that it has to be done in your first
few minutes back home!232 Power Up Your Mind
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Team-Fly®