National Stress Awareness Day

This year, National Stress Awareness Day takes place on Wednesday 6th November 2024. The day was founded by the International Stress Management Association to highlight the impact of stress on our health and wellbeing, and how to cope with it.

Stress can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, and can lead to physical and mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and heart disease. Statistics show that during 2022/23, stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 17.1 million working days lost in Great Britain. The day encourages people to take action on stress, whether at an organisational, team, or individual level, by raising awareness and reducing stigma.

What is stress?

According to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation, 74% of UK adults felt so stressed in the past year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall wellbeing.

How does stress affect us?

Stress affects both the mind and the body. A little bit of stress is good and can help us perform daily activities. Too much stress can cause physical and mental health problems. Learning how to cope with stress can help us feel less overwhelmed and support our mental and physical wellbeing.

Symptoms of stress will often accumulate until the individual is forced to take notice of them. To help recognise when your employees may be struggling, we have provided a list highlighting some of the common symptoms associated with stress: * Anxious, nervous, and afraid * Reduced focus and concentration * Lack of confidence * Mood swings * Gaining or losing weight * Increased fatigue

Stress isn’t avoidable but it is manageable. A key action you could take to minimise risk is to identify stress-related problems as early as possible, so that you can take the right action before serious stress-related illness occurs. To find out more about how to manage your stress levels day to day, we’ve put together 10 Tips on how to Reduce Stress.

How employers should address stress at work

Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work. This can be helped by ensuring they match demands to workers’ skills and knowledge, as workers often get stressed or when feeling underqualified or overwhelmed. Following HSE’s Management Standards approach will help identify and manage the main causes of stress at work.

How can leaders combat stress in the workplace?

1. Offer wellbeing support Employers should ensure they have a holistic framework in place to support people’s physical health and safety, and mental health. You should offer sources of help such as counselling, an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and Occupational Health (OH) services where possible.

Providing wellbeing support for your people is essential for many different reasons. It allows your people to explore different perspectives, have someone to talk to in confidence, and provides a safe space to discuss their mental health challenges.

1. Recognise the signs of stress and communicate to your people Recognising when one of your colleagues is struggling with stress allows you to mitigate and help that individual quickly and appropriately.

Be vigilant for signs and symptoms of stress within the workplace and in your people.

Here are some signs of stress to watch out for: * High staff turnover * Aggression * Reduced focus and concentration * Restlessness * Increased sickness absence * Arguments within the workplace

1. Communicate with your people Having open and honest conversations with colleagues about their mental health is essential for mitigating stress and reducing the risk of burnout in your people.

Create spaces where your colleagues can comfortably have open and honest conversations with you and the leaders in your organisation, such as a wellbeing room and comfort spaces.

Having designated quiet areas for employees to take wellness breaks or a place to go if they are starting to feel overwhelmed with stress can be a sure way of helping employees manage the stresses of the workplace.

Supporting your managers and employees with stress

With a Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), we can offer you practical advice and support when it comes to dealing with workplace stress through our 24/7, 365 counselling helpline, Life & Leadership Coaching programme, and dedicated Wellbeing Workshops.

Our award-winning EAP provides guidance and supports your employees with their mental health in the workplace and at home. We can help you create a safe, productive workspace that supports all.

We support your employees' mental wellbeing with any problems they might be facing in their professional or personal lives with our 24-hour counselling helpline.