Thanks to the growing awareness of the impact that stress can have on health, people are looking for ways to de-stress their lives like never before. We tend to focus on stress in our personal lives and accept professional stress as a given. However, workplace stress isn’t difficult to manage if you think outside of the box. Here are four techniques that offices are using to reduce employee stress.
Piping In Some Tunes
For better or for worse, music can significantly affect the energy levels and moods of those that are listening to it. Playing music at moderate levels in the background can reduce stress levels and energize your workforce at the same time. Poll your workforce for recommendations and use a streaming music service like Pandora or Spotify to keep song selections varied and unique.
Team Gaming Sessions
Nowadays, it’s more than socially acceptable for grown adults to blow off some steam with video games. In a workplace setting, a half hour or so spent playing Call of Duty every now and then can make for a great stress reliever. A bonus side effect of playing a video game together as a group is a greater sense of camaraderie shared by co-workers.
Scheduled Yoga Workouts
Physical exertion of any kind is always a good way to reduce tension. However, hectic schedules often make it difficult for office workers to get into a groove. Scheduled yoga sessions held at the office or a nearby gym either before or after work can be great for team-building as well as stress reduction. If yoga isn’t a popular draw, pickup volleyball games work as well.
Pets in the Office
Nothing is more reassuring than a lovable dog or another furry companion. Major companies like Google, Autodesk and Burton have caught on to the fact that allowing dogs in the workplace improves morale and ultimately boosts productivity. Encouraging employees to bring their four-legged friends to work by setting up dedicated areas outfitted with dog beds is a smart move for any office.
Kill the Stress, Reap the Rewards
Besides a marked improvement in employee health, stress reduction techniques such as those discussed here have other benefits. Happy, healthy employees are ultimately more productive, which tends to boost profits in the long run. Furthermore, reducing stress in the office can result in fewer health care claims, which saves money. Any way you slice it, workplace stress reduction is a worthwhile goal.
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