Stress is not always something to steer clear of, it can help us to achieve our goals and push us to new heights. However, high amounts of stress will often have a detrimental effect on our day–to–day lives, manifesting itself both physically and mentally.
As a manager and team leader, it’s important to recognise when a member of your team might be suffering from a high amount of stress before it leads to a drop in morale, productivity and absences.
So, to mark #StressAwarenessWeek, here are some simple ways to recognise stress within your team.
1. Keep your eyes and ears open for common warning signs
Such as:
Loss of concentration & forgetfulness
Mood swings & irritability
Unusual impulsiveness
Neglecting day-to-day responsibilities
Suddenly shying away from others
And many more…
2. Make use of Pulse surveys
Pulse surveys are short, simple weekly surveys that can gauge your team’s morale and capacity. They are useful early warning systems for increased stress within your team.
3. Schedule regular meetings
Weekly team meetings allow team members to share their concerns and workloads before stressful situations have a chance to build up. Allowing issues to go unheard and unsolved can lead to any number of problems down the line.
4. Keep your door open
Knowing that your door is always open will allow your colleagues to feel comfortable coming to you if they are feeling overwhelmed or nearing burnout, helping you to react to and deal with the situation early on.
5. Share trusted mental health resources on stress
Remember, most managers and leaders are not mental health experts. Sharing links to trusted sources will allow team members to seek professional advice and even come to terms with the fact that they are suffering from high amounts of stress.
Links such as: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/feelings-and-symptoms/stress/ are a great starting point.
