How to Eliminate Stress on the Job

Let's face it. With all the problems of the world weighing us down, many of us are under a lot of stress even before we make it to work. Our daily routine is filled with stressors that can send our blood pressure through the roof. In order to have more motivated and productive employees, we have to understand the nature of the stress and find ways to diminish it.

While some stress in our day is good in order to get the job done and achieve goals, it can also create a work environment that is unhealthy. Managers should understand that most employees get burned out very easily in service positions. When employees are put in the same positions everyday and perform the same routines over and over, they get a feeling of worthlessness.

They feel like robots or machines and they find very little meaning in the tasks in which they do. One way to prevent this from happening is to assign workers different tasks. Workers thrive on variety. It eliminates boredom and gives them a sense of pride and ownership of their work when you trust them to complete other tasks.

There are also times when workers appear to be having problems with other coworkers or customers. A manager needs to determine if the stress level is too high for that employee and communicate with them ways to handle particular situations effective. A hostile work environment is a breeding ground for unhappy, unmotivated employees. There should be an open door policy whereas employees able to speak with manager-in confidence-about problems they may be having. They should feel free to discuss grievances that they may have, even if it is about a manager.

Another reason workers experience negative stress is because managers set goals that are too high and unrealistic. Oftentimes employees just do not have the skill and resources needed to accomplish these goals and the thought of reaching them is out of their site. This causes the worker to become stressed because they feel they will never accomplish the organizational goals and therefore morale diminishes.

When employees start to voice negative concerns about their jobs or seem on edge, give them an opportunity to voice their concerns. Make it know that their concerns are important and try to work out solutions or set goals that both the company and the employee can benefit from. Continue to set high goals, but make sure that they are indeed attainable. When an employee feels valued and important, they will work harder toward the goals in order to steer the company forward.