Find Calm in the Chaos

Employees are more stressed than ever before. Recent studies have shown that half of employed adults are feeling stressed within their roles. 70% of those have listed the top cause of their stress as workload and work-life balance. Other studies have reported that 23% of employees feel burnout at work very often or always, while an additional 44% reports feeling it sometimes.

Even on the best days, stress can stop us from being ourselves, it can prevent us from being fully focused and productive at work. Too much stress can easily lead to burnout, disengagement, more sick days, and stained relationships within the workplace. This leads to financial strain for the business, also adding stress to other employees, as their workload increases.

In the wake of Covid-19, it has never been more important or more critical for businesses and HR departments to address the well-being of their team’s head-on. So, what can you do to help yourself and your staff?

Be Active

Exercise will not dissolve your stress, but it will help release the emotional intensity that you are feeling. It helps to clear your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems calmly and rationally. It is recommended to take a walk during your lunch break, get some fresh air often helps clear your thoughts.

Take Control

That feeling of lack of control is one main cause of stress and lack of wellbeing. If you remain passive, thinking, ‘I cannot do anything about my problem’, your stress will get worse. The act of taking control is empowering, and it is a vital part of the solution that satisfies you and not someone else. 

Connect with people

A good human support system of colleagues, friends and family can help relieve stress. After all it’s good to talk! Talking through your work and life problems can help you see things in a different way and can help find solutions to your problems. The activities we do with friends and family help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever. 

‘Me Time’

In the UK, we work the longest hours in Europe, meaning we do not spend enough time doing things we enjoy. This can put equal pressure on our home lives. We need to take time for socialising, relaxation, or exercise for our own wellbeing. We are quick to book things in our diaries that are work-related, but what space is left for you?

Challenge Yourself

Setting yourself goals and challenges, whether business or personal can help build confidence and give you something positive to work towards. This helps to keep you focussed and determined to succeed.

Helping Others

Studies have shown that helping others through volunteering or community work, can make you more resilient. Helping people who are often in situations worse than yourself can help put your problems in perspective. If you do not have time to volunteer, how about trying to do a good deed every day. This could be simply helping someone cross the road, doing a shopping run or any favour for someone else that does not benefit you. Bringing back the feel-good factor!

Start a hobby

Hobbies can bring a sense of fun and freedom to life, and that can help to minimise the impact of chronic stress. Having a couple of hours to look forward to after a hard day at work, will help relax you and release your stress. 

Just because life can get crazy, doesn’t mean you must go crazy. You can experience outer chaos and still find inner peace. Nothing even needs to change outside you, to find calm inside you. This calm is always available. Just Breathe