Stress relief techniques can ease grief

Posted on | by HeartMath

Sometimes, a bereavement period is not enough to help workers heal from a significant loss. After coming back to work after a short time off, some employees may experience high levels of workplace stress as they continue to experience grief on top of carrying out daily responsibilities.

As a result, some extra help may be needed. Stress expert and author Lauren Miller said that methods meant to relieve anxiety can be helpful for the bereaved, since the physical reactions to trauma can be similar to those of stress.

“When trauma of any kind enters into your life, your body goes into a freeze. Your breathing becomes shallow, your left brain stops communicating with the right brain and you experience a ‘deer in the headlights’ response to life,” Miller said.

This suggests that employee wellness programs that promote holistic and healthy ways to alleviate stress could be helpful to workers in more ways than one.

Healthy living and stress management have been shown to be powerful tools in maintaining a positive mood, staying focused and dealing with the everyday stressors of life, in addition to those that pop up unexpectedly.

Researchers measure stress levels in medical professionals

Posted on | by HeartMath

Doctors often deal with workplace stress as the result of having to make difficult decisions on a daily basis, some of which have lives depending on the correct answer. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati recently conducted a survey to determine whether physicians working in different fields have similar stress levels.

Using a number of work intensity measurement tools and questionnaires, the team of scientists examined anxiety levels in 45 family healthcare providers, 20 general internal organ specialist, 22 neurologists and 21 surgeons.

The researchers discovered that general internists and surgeons experience similar levels of workplace stress. Interestingly, they also found that these types of professionals are significantly more anxious than family physicians and neurologists.

Overall, surgeons reported highest levels of task concentration, stress and physical demands when compared to the other specialists.

“A physician’s work can be assessed by the time required to complete it and by the intensity of the effort, which is central to properly valuing the services being provided,” said lead investigator Ronnie Horner, Ph.D.

Employees can exercise during the workday without sacrificing productivity

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Some supervisors may be hesitant to encourage staff members to take a walk or hit the gym in the middle of the day out of fear that workers will be wasting valuable production time toning their abs.

However, researchers at Stockholm University and Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that employees can take a daily 30-minute exercise break without sacrificing their productivity.

“This increased productivity comes, on the one hand, from people getting more done during the hours they are at work, perhaps because of increased stamina and, on the other hand, from less absenteeism owing to sickness,” said study authors Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz and Henna Hasson.

Additionally, volunteers reported a perceived increase in their ability to work as well as the quality of their physical health in a post-trial assessment.

Since daily exercise has been shown to be an effective anxiety-reliever, it’s possible that the strategy may also help reduce workplace stress. Combining exercise breaks with an employee wellness program that provides tools and resources for stress management and healthy living may be a powerful way to strengthen employee performance.

HR professionals experiencing high stress levels due to turnover

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Employees in human resources (HR) deal with a number of stressors throughout the day, including organizing employee health benefits information, ensuring worker satisfaction, hiring new staff members and retaining talent within a company.

According to an article in Human Resource Executive Online, a recent survey revealed that keeping important employees in a business is currently the biggest source of stress for people working in HR.

A total of 72 percent of respondents reported an increase in stress levels over the past 18 months, with 32 naming talent retention as their biggest challenge.

Industry Week magazine reports that there are three things organizations can offer to either attract or retain employees.

First, give them the opportunity to develop new skills and experience. Second, the idea of expanding a professional network is often attractive to workers. Lastly, the news source said businesses should encourage continued education for employees.

Hobbies may help reduce workplace stress

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Supervisors often encourage workers to engage in physical activity, eat a balanced diet and take advantage of their vacation days in an effort to reduce workplace stress. Additionally, research has shown that after-hours hobbies may be another way to decrease anxiety in employees.

An article in the Miami Herald reports that hobbies can reduce stress, alleviate high blood pressure and stimulate creativity in workers.

“No matter how good you are, no matter how intense you are and no matter how much you enjoy your job, stepping away relaxes the mind and gives you a new perspective,” said Jim Bird, CEO of Atlanta-based worklifebalance.com, quoted by the news source.

Whether the hobby is running, gardening, playing a musical instrument or collecting an item, individuals should make time for their after-hours activities the way they would schedule in work-related tasks, according to the news source.

An article on the Mayo Clinic’s website reports that having a hobby can also boost self-esteem and give workers a sense of accomplishment.

Three psychological factors may promote employee engagement

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Researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of Guelph reported that employee engagement is an integral component of managing performance, and that efforts to help workers become more invested in their jobs is key in staff retention.

The team of scientists identified three psychological conditions that may encourage employee engagement.

First, they said that employees who are made to feel that the work they do is valued by the organization are more likely to be engaged in their job.

Next, the researchers noted that safety is important in employee engagement. Workers should feel as though their health or reputation are not at risk as a result of their position. Promoting safety can range from efforts to stave off workplace bullies to improved training aimed at preventing injuries on the job.

Lastly, psychological availability, or the characteristic of having the physical, emotional and mental resources to do a job, is essential to staff dedication.

Stress management may improve sleep patterns

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In a study of 200 college students, researchers at the University of Cincinnati’s Health Promotion and Education Program found that the undergrads were seriously deprived of sleep, which has the potential to hinder learning ability.

The lead author Adam Knowlden is a doctoral student who instructs classes on stress management. He said the students aren’t doing themselves any favors by pulling all-nighters.

“Sleep helps us save energy. It repairs cells in the body. And it’s key for memory consolidation,” said Knowlden. “During sleep, the brain acts like a hard-drive on a computer. It goes in and cleans up memories and makes connections stronger, and it gets rid of things it doesn’t need.”

The researcher said that stress management and healthy sleep patterns go hand-in-hand, since a good night’s rest can reduce tension, and tools and resources to control anxiety may help individuals get to sleep easier.

Students or workers who have trouble sleeping at night may want to try some stress-relieving exercises or techniques before tucking themselves in, Knowlden said. Additionally, he noted that writing in a journal before bed may help to reduce worried thoughts.

Key factors in implementing an employee wellness program

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As with most programs and business strategies, proper implementation is key in attaining success.

An article in Benefits Canada reports that building an effective wellness initiative begins with upper management, making sure that they see the value in a program and will provide support and assistance to ensure that the company is getting the most out of its wellness dollars.

Additionally, the news source recommends manager involvement in building a strategy for a program and integrating it in a way that makes sense for the business.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety reports that companies should compile baseline employee health and benefit data before beginning an initiative. This will help administrators choose a program tailored to the companies needs. Additionally, the information will allow employers to compare employee wellness before and after an effort is implemented.

Inter-office promotion of an initiative is key to educating staff members on the new program, its benefits and how to participate, according to the organization. This may be done by placing posters throughout the workplace, through face-to-face communication, during demonstration meetings and by email.

Foundation urges organizations to offer wellness incentives

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Research has indicated that employee wellness programs are growing in prevalence, as companies begin to see the value of improving staff health in an effort to reduce workplace stress, strengthen employee performance and cut down on employee health benefit costs.

Scientists at the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) are now saying that offering incentives may help increase the number of workers who participate in wellness programs, thereby strengthening the initiatives’ efficacy.

Authors of the study noted that about $2.5 trillion is spent each year on healthcare in the U.S.

“As much as 75 percent of that is spent on preventable conditions, so the potential savings through preventative healthcare measures that include workplace wellness programs could be as high as $1.9 trillion per year,” said Rodger Stotz, IRF’s chief research officer.

Additionally, the foundation reported that businesses with initiatives in place are likely to see improved employee performance and staff quality of life.

The scientists said that organizations that do not offer incentives to workers for engaging in wellness programs have an estimated 20 percent participation rate. Conversely, those that do offer rewards boast an 80 percent rate of participation.

Certain personality traits may intensify workplace stress

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Tension and anxiety in the office are difficult enough to reduce without staff members’ and managers’ negative attitudes. Every workplace has one of these individuals, who take a bad situation and makes it worse.

The Seattle Times recently reported that there are ways to identify people who tend to suck the positivity out of a room.

First, they often dwell on bad news, according to the news source. Moreover, it can be difficult to cheer them up with solutions or motivational words.

Additionally, problems tend to snowball for these individuals, becoming insurmountable issues that another person may have nipped in the bud, according to the Times.

An article in Psych Central reports that stress and personality are inextricably linked to how a situation is handled. For instance, when confronted with an issue, the person who tells themselves that it is manageable is much more likely to succeed in solving the problem than the worker who has an intense negative reaction.

While it may not be a viable option to let go of these workers, they may be helped with employee wellness programs that provide tools and resources for stress management. Such initiatives have been shown to reduce workplace stress as well as improve employee performance.