5 Ways To Help Employees Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed At Work

In any line of work, there will inevitably be a build-up of stress and pressure to some degree. This tends to get more exaggerated around the holiday period as people rush to meet deadlines and try and balance their personal and professional obligations. Feeling overwhelmed in these circumstances is to be expected but there are a range of things you can do to limit the impact on your employees’ health and productivity. Here are 5 ways to help employees avoid feeling overwhelmed at work. 

Set Aside One-On-One Time

Making time for your employees is something we encourage year-round as a general motivation and wellness tactic but it becomes even more important as the end of the year approaches. Small changes in behaviour can be easy to miss, especially by the employee themselves. By setting a time once a week for each employee to be able to talk things through with you, either work or wellbeing related you can make sure that your employees feel supported and comfortable in the work environment. By making it a regular, weekly thing it also removes the stigma that may be associated with asking for help, further allowing yur employees to open up to you.

Monitor & Review Workloads

It can be easy to lose track of the amount of work each employee is doing as projects come to an end or get merged across the year. Take some time to talk with your employees and make sure they have the time and resources to accomplish the most important tasks they have, reassigning work as needed. Many high-performing employees find it hard to admit they feel overwhelmed as they strive to live up to expectations but by delegating tasks and prioritising correctly you can help balance your team’s workload.

Encourage Camaraderie

Making your workplace a more positive place is always a great step in improving wellbeing and mindfulness in your employees and your company as a whole. Rewarding or thanking people who contribute to this makes it a more common thing and can really contribute to a feeling of positivity. It can be as simple as publicly thanking people who you see go above and beyond to help their colleagues, just minor changes to make sure that your employees know how much you value their work and time.

Focus On Wellness & Wellbeing

The last thing anybody wants as the new year approaches is to be feeling low or stressed. By making wellness a business-wide focus you can help people overcome these problems while also giving them a boost to productivity and encouraging more social interaction within your team. A short 10-15 minute meditation session in the morning or afternoon gives people some time to recharge and reassess their goals for the day without dramatically impacting the workday.

Consider More Flexible Schedules

Depending on your business needs it can be well worth allowing your employees more of a say in their work schedule and conditions. If a job can be done from home, freeing up an employee from the stress of finding childcare or a long commute, their performance is likely to see a corresponding increase. Small changes just a few times a week will drastically change the way your employees look at work and your business and will help them feel more appreciated and comfortable.

Stress in the workplace is unavoidable. However, understanding how your employees are working and what support they need can help minimize feeling overwhelmed. At hug, we’ve developed a platform to help you understand your team and build a happier, healthier workplace. It offers holistic real time analysis of your employee wellbeing and smart matches products, services and benefits to employee needs. The aggregated, anonymous data will give you a deeper understanding of your workforce, providing insights into the benefits that would best suit your employees. Book a demo by clicking here today.