Manage stress in your business

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed is a common response to challenging or new situations. Stress has both mental and physical aspects that bring on changes in your body which help you respond to the stressful situation.

Some stress is normal, but ongoing stress can:

• cause health problems
• negatively affect your business
• result in high turnover of staff and low productivity.

Different life experiences can trigger stress. For example, losing a family member, a health problem or a relationship breakdown.

Things in the workplace that trigger stress may be classed as psychosocial hazards. These hazards can come from the:

• design or management of your work
• work environment
• equipment, software or tools you use
• behaviours and interactions with other people in the workplace.

Some things that can commonly cause workplace stress are:

• heavy workloads
• long hours
• changes to your industry
• being responsible for employees
• business finances and cash flow.

Some common physical warning signs of stress are:

• your heart beating faster
• feeling panicked or anxious
• muscle tension
• headaches
• poor sleep
• feeling irritable.

These should pass after the stressful situation is over. If they don't, you may be more stressed than you realise.

Look out for the following signs:

• feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope
• feeling ‘on edge’ or unable to stop worrying
• changes in sleep patterns
• feeling exhausted
• changes in appetite
• finding it difficult to concentrate
• withdrawing from friends and family
• relying on alcohol or other substances to cope
• thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Learn where to get mental health and wellbeing support.

Here are some ways you can manage and reduce stress:

• maintain a healthy work-life balance – make time for family, friends and activities you enjoy
• get regular exercise to help boost your energy levels
• maintain a healthy lifestyle – eat good food and get enough sleep
• don’t overcommit – learn to say ‘no’
• plan events ahead of time, so you know what’s coming up
• find ways to relax and unwind and add them to your daily routine. For example, meditate or listen to music
• get support when you need it – talk to someone and ask for help.

Find more tips in the video below.

It’s important for business owners to pay attention to each employee’s stress levels – everyone handles stress differently.

To make sure you’re not adding to your employee’s stress, remove or reduce any psychosocial risks in your workplace.

For example, high job demands and workloads can become a hazard if you don’t manage them properly. But if you give your employees time to do their work, you can reduce the risk of burnout.

Here are some other ways you can support stressed staff and create a mentally healthy workplace:

• give your employees a dedicated space where they can take a rest or break
• encourage the use of sick (personal) leave for mental health purposes
• design your workplace to allow in sunlight and fresh air
• make sure your employees know where they can get support
• encourage flexible working arrangements
• have a culture of open communication and have regular check-ins with your staff.