Tips for reducing employee stress
Employees rank time pressures, deadlines, office politics, and their bosses as the top stress-inducing factors at work, according to a new workplace wellness survey conducted by Eclipse gum and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).1
Employees can use small tools to beat stress at work, such as going outside for a breath of fresh air, closing their eyes while slowly counting to 50, or chewing gum. A study presented recently at the 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine examined the effects of chewing gum in response to a stressor. 2 It found that the use of chewing gum was associated with reduced stress, improved alertness, and relieved anxiety.
I4cp recommends these other tips to help relieve office stress and increase employee efficiency:
- Company-sponsored social activities can help take the edge off. Survey results showed that the more social activities employees attended, the less stress they reported.
- Employees can re-energize before the next task by taking an afternoon walk around the office.
References
1. Institute for Corporate Productivity. Workplace Stress Survey 2008. Seattle. 2008.
2. Scholey A. An investigation into the effects of gum chewing on mood and cortisol levels during psychological stress. 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine. Tokyo, Japan. August 2008.
Employees rank time pressures, deadlines, office politics, and their bosses as the top stress-inducing factors at work, according to a new workplace wellness survey conducted by Eclipse gum and the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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