You probably have a lot on your plate. Juggling multiple responsibilities while managing tight deadlines leads to a lot of built-up stress and negative energy. Without proper leadership and stress management practices in place, HR professionals – as well as the workforce they are there to help – can succumb to the dreaded 'employee burnout'. This affects not only employee satisfaction and employee recognition but also overall workplace culture and the employee experience across your organization.
While a little bit of stress can help you meet deadlines and even improve job performance, chronic stress can have huge consequences on mental and physical health, including increased risk for heart disease and higher cholesterol. This is especially true for remote employees and the hybrid workforce who may face unique challenges in the digital workplace and require effective communication tools to stay connected.
Based on self-reports, the Labour Force Survey 2015/16 estimates that 11.7 million working-days are lost due to work-related stress, anxiety, and depression. Is stress costing your company more than you can afford? Consider encouraging de-stressing exercises or initiating an Employee Wellness Program that leverages an employee experience platform with a robust content management system to support internal communications, employee communication, and employee engagement.
If you've already tried those, here are another 8 easy ways for anyone to relieve stress at work, incorporating knowledge sharing and intranet best practices:
Workplace stress is inevitable — but unmanaged stress costs organizations millions in lost productivity. Here's what this guide covers:
Chronic stress goes beyond mood — it raises the risk of heart disease and higher cholesterol, and costs the UK economy alone 11.7 million working-days per year.
Small, science-backed habits like petting a dog, smiling, spending time in nature, and staying hydrated can meaningfully reduce stress levels at work.
HR professionals and leaders play a critical role in modeling and promoting stress management practices that support employee satisfaction, recognition, and overall workplace culture.
Employee Wellness Programs backed by digital workplace tools and intranet platforms can help organizations scale these initiatives across remote, hybrid, and in-office teams.
Lucky enough to have a dog-friendly office? According to this 2012 Virginia Commonwealth University Study, employees who brought their dogs to work experienced an 11% decline in stress levels while those who didn’t have a furry pal near them saw their stress levels rise up to 70% by the end of the day. This kind of workplace communication and company culture initiative, often promoted through a social intranet, can significantly improve employee participation and user adoption of wellness programs, making it an effective intranet content strategy.
Don’t have a pet friendly office? That’s okay, you can always pull up a Youtube video of baby animals. Researcher Hiroshi Nittono at Hiroshima University found that looking at pictures of puppies, panda cams, and grumpy cat videos at work not only improved mood, but also increased productivity.
According to this NBC News Report, science has shown that simply smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, and boost our immune systems. Dr. Sivan Finkel adds, "Even forcing a fake smile can legitimately reduce stress and lower your heart rate." This simple user experience improvement in your daily routine, which can be shared through modern intranet features and content creation on your company's intranet page, can enhance your overall employee experience. Don't want to fake a smile at your desk? Find a private space, and use that time to simply smile.
Research shows that the practice of spending time in a wooded area (also known as 'forest bathing') lifts your mood and is good for your body. You can do this at a park, in a garden, or anywhere with some greenery. This is particularly beneficial for remote work professionals who need to step away from their intranet software and digital workplace tools. Many corporate intranet solutions now include wellness resources with thoughtful intranet design to encourage such breaks. Irina Wen, Ph.D., clinical director of the Steven A. Military Family Clinic at NYU Langone Medical Center says, "Nature can be beneficial for mental health... It reduces cognitive fatigue and stress and can be helpful with depression and anxiety."
Drinking water is not only good for your body, but it's also good for your mind. In a recent study titled “Habitual total water intake and dimensions of mood in healthy young women” by Coleen Muñoz, it was found that there was a correlation between how much water a participant consumed and their mood state. Similar to how intranet survey tools track employee feedback, monitoring your hydration through intranet platforms can help track your wellness. Many organizations are implementing intranet ideas like hydration tracking as content for intranet wellness pages, supported by the intranet team to encourage intranet usage and intranet adoption. This content management approach, guided by intranet governance policies, allows the corporate intranet to serve as a comprehensive intranet solution for employee wellness initiatives.
Stress eating can get the best of us, but luckily some snacks are better for us than others. Instead of energy-sapping sweet treats, transform your stress-eating habits by choosing fiber-and-nutrient-rich snacks, which satisfies hunger and enables more focus.
If you need some ideas on what to make, here are 121 Easy & Delicious Healthy Snacks For Every Type of Snacker. Bon appetit!
As a way to de-stress, solitude is underrated. If your job involves interfacing with many people and helping them with their problems, solitude can be an effective way to disarm your stress. Although many businesses don’t always provide a space where you can be alone, you can find solitude anywhere. When you are feeling overwhelmed by stress, try finding a spot (yes, even the bathroom or your car) to be alone for a few moments.
Another tip: For true “deactivation”, try not using your phone during your moment of solitude.
Boring lunches can have a dampening effect on your mood. Spice up your routine by trying a new lunch spot. Better yet, invite a coworker you typically don’t eat with to join! That’s just one way to de-stress during your lunch break... here’s 10 more things to try at lunch.
Sitting still, meditating, or watching the sunset sky can all have a calming effect on our minds. Research has found time and time again that feeling connected with nature improves our emotional well-being. Here are a few other ways showing “How Admiring the Sunset Changes You for the Better”.
HR Cloud is a leading developer of HR software & HRMS solutions for small and medium size businesses that have high turnover. HR Cloud's Onboard is market leading technology for effective new hire onboarding and Workmates enables employee engagement simply and easily. Founded in 2012, our HRIS empowers teams to easily onboard new hires, manage employee data, create a company social network and support employee development.
HR Cloud is a unified HR platform offering tools for employee onboarding, performance management, recognition, and more. It helps HR teams automate workflows, reduce manual tasks, and improve employee engagement. With integrations like ADP and tools such as Workmates and Onboard, HR Cloud enables seamless HR processes for companies with 50–2,500 employees.
HR Cloud's onboarding solution uses Maya, an AI-powered onboarding agent that automates preboarding tasks, guides new hires through the process, and integrates with ADP systems to ensure smooth transitions. This mobile-first and conversational onboarding tool helps companies onboard employees faster and with greater ease.
Yes, HR Cloud offers deep integrations with ADP Workforce Now, ADP RUN, ADP Vantage, and other HR systems like UKG and QuickBooks. This allows seamless data synchronization across platforms, making it easier for businesses to manage payroll, benefits, and compliance alongside HR workflows.
HR Cloud's Workmates platform is designed to boost employee engagement and recognition through features like personalized recognition feeds, employee feedback loops, and reward tracking. It helps businesses cultivate a positive workplace culture and increase retention by empowering employees to feel valued.
HR Cloud provides built-in compliance tools for industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. With features like I-9 and E-Verify integrations, role-specific onboarding checklists, and automatic reminders for certifications and licenses, HR Cloud ensures that businesses stay compliant with local, state, and federal regulations.
HR Cloud can be implemented within 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the scope of your business’s needs. Our dedicated implementation team works with you to configure HR workflows, integrate your existing systems, and ensure that your HR Cloud platform is up and running smoothly with minimal disruption to your business operations.
HR Cloud is perfect for mid-market businesses and enterprises with 200 to 2,500 employees. It’s designed to be flexible, scalable, and affordable for companies across industries such as healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and education. Whether you have a frontline-heavy workforce or remote teams, HR Cloud can meet your needs.
HR Cloud provides 24/7 customer support, along with resources like onboarding training, webinars, and a comprehensive knowledge base. Our team is here to help you with any questions, from troubleshooting technical issues to ensuring your HR workflows are optimized for performance.