How can stress management training improve wellbeing at work?

We’ve examined the impact of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

We’ve also touched on the effects it has on the productivity and morale of your workers, not to mention to your business.

As well as supporting the recovery of staff experiencing mental ill health, effective stress management training also contributes to how other employees engage with your business when they’re experiencing similar health issues.

By investing in experienced stress management trainers, you’re able to show your organisation prioritises the health and mental wellbeing of their staff.

Stress management programs in the workplace teach employees to identify signs of stress and other mental health issues in a work environment. It also provides them with the skills needed to offer support when an employee is experiencing stress.

In this piece, we explore the effects of stress. We also highlight some benefits of investing in workplace stress reduction programmes.

The effects of stress

Before delving into stress management training, it’s important to understand the effects stress can have on your organisation and workforce.

It’s not uncommon for employees to experience increased pressure in their jobs. Psychology experts even go as far as saying it’s important to experience manageable levels of stress in the workplace as it contributes to their productivity.

However, unaddressed stress can result in insomnia, anxiety, depression and other underlying mental health issues for the employee.

The impacts of stress on organisations include:

• Increase in staff absences.
• Reduced productivity levels.
• Lower retention rates.
• Higher costs of recruiting.

Considering the above points, it’s important to invest in tried and tested stress management training courses that can teach your staff the techniques for effectively managing workplace stress.

Experienced stress management trainers help your organisation prioritise stress management as an ongoing initiative.

Benefits of stress management

There are many benefits to providing this training to your workforce.

By supporting your employee’s wellbeing, you’re also able to enhance morale, productivity, loyalty and commitment to the organisation and most important of all, profitability.

Other benefits include:

Retention and acquisition: Employees are less likely to leave their current employment if they’re valued and aren’t overly stressed. The same goes for potential recruits, they’re more likely to accept a new position at an organisation that supports and invests in the wellbeing of their staff.

Absenteeism: Stress is one of the leading causes of staff absences in the workplace. Acas puts the cost of employee absences to the UK economy upwards of £8.4 million every year. By supporting employees experiencing increased pressure at work, you’re able to reduce stress and anxiety-related absences.

Culture: Your staff are happier when they’re healthier. Training employees to identify and manage stress in the workplace contributes to promoting a culture of open dialogue. Because your staff take their cues from senior members of a team, it’s important for them to practice what they preach so other members of the team feel comfortable joining in the conversation.

Remember, when making decisions about your employees’ work or how teams are run, it’s important to include them in the decision making process.

Expert advice

If you’d like to find out more information on any of the topics mentioned in this article, please contact Health Assured on 0844 892 2493.