This one business mistake costs the U.S. economy $93 billion per year.

Stress is a part of life, but that doesn't mean it's healthy or productive. At work, we all have moments where we feel overwhelmed, and even the best leaders can't always be on top of everything that goes wrong with their business. However, if you feel too stressed out to function effectively at work -- or worse yet, if your employees do -- then it's time for us to talk about how coaching can help!

Letting stress be a part of your workplace is the 'norm' for many organizations, but rather than accepting the culture, combat it with some tips in this article. We love hearing from our readers, so contact us for any questions or concerns.

Stress can take a significant toll on your business.

Stress, it turns out, is a big problem for many companies. If you work in corporate, this is not new news. We know this because stress causes people to make bad decisions and get sick, resulting in lost productivity (among other financial effects). Pfeffer conducted with his team a study that assessed the incremental annual healthcare costs incurred by employers based on different workplace conditions. Workplace stress costs employers an estimated $93 billion annually, of which high job demands accounted for the largest share ($46 billion annually). Work-family conflict, long work hours, and low job control made up the rest.

Suppose you fail to manage stress levels among your staff. In that case, the quality of their work may decline, and you will have to spend more money on recruiting new employees, paying out more in benefits and healthcare costs than necessary—or worse: losing good employees altogether! Perks, benefits, and free food are not solutions to the problem. They are merely a bandaid.

How can we heal the wound within our workplace? What can we do about it?

First, let's talk about what stress isn't

Stress is not a bad thing. It can be good for you! When properly managed and regulated, stress can push us to excel at our jobs, succeed in school and live long lives! When we experience stress, our bodies release hormones that tell us to take action—and if we don't listen to them, they will continue sending these warnings until they've found a way to get through our thick skulls.

There are ways to manage stress. Managing stress at work is difficult, but it can be done by following specific techniques and strategies to take steps immediately to reduce symptoms and causes, so they don't cause burnout or more serious long-term damage later on.

As an entrepreneur or leader, you are responsible for everything in your business -- so it's easy to get overwhelmed.

Entrepreneurs and leaders, you are responsible for many aspects of the business—from finances and marketing to H.R as well as managing well being and knowing how to motivate employees. That can be overwhelming, especially when delegating tasks you don't want to do yourself (or don't know how to do). As your team leader, you must take ownership of all aspects of the company so that employees can focus on executing their roles. 

Employees must trust that their manager takes care of them to thrive at work. The trust provides support when needed and is clear about expectations. Some things you can acknowledge are: 'I know this isn't something I'm good at doing right now,' or 'As soon as our budget allows it, we'll hire someone who has more experience.'" This can provide clarity around certain stressors you or employees may be facing.

The problem is that people who work for you didn't ask for that burden.

The problem is that people who work for you didn't ask for that burden. They didn't ask for the culture or ambiance of stress. You hired them to do a job, and they want to do it well, but if their leaders didn't tell them about the added or changed expectations that might come with their role, they could end up getting burnout. 

Please make sure everyone on your team knows their roles in the company and why they're essential. You don't have to tell them everything about this upfront—you could even start explaining only a few key areas at first—but it will make all the difference in how well your employees perform when they feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves.

When things go wrong, it's easy to redirect blame onto your team, but the truth is that if you're not giving them what they need to succeed, you're at fault too.

It's easy to think that your employees are responsible for their happiness, but that's not true. You're accountable for your employees' success and well-being. Your company is a large part of their daily lives, so you must be mindful of how you run it—from your team members' emotional health to the office's cleanliness. If things go wrong in your business, it's tempting to blame them or even yourself (not without reason), but if you're not giving them what they need from you to succeed and thrive at work, then maybe it's time for a change on both ends.

One way to do that is by providing a safe and supportive environment where they're free to talk about their stressors or overwhelm them. Safe spaces will help them manage their stress effectively, making them more productive at work. The result? You'll have a happier, more effective workplace where everyone feels supported—which means you'll be able to achieve even bigger goals together than you ever thought possible!

Consider a positive psychology coach to save time and money on trial and error.

Positive psychology coaches have the tools to help employees better understand themselves, allowing them to recognize and overcome their stressors. Positive psychology coaches can help employees understand their strengths and weaknesses by identifying what makes them feel good or bad about themselves. They also teach people how to use those feelings healthily. Coaches can also help workers learn how they respond to various situations that could cause stress, such as deadlines, managers or difficult coworkers. 

Coaches will then coach these individuals to manage their reactions when faced with stressful situations, including taking time for self-care activities like meditation or exercise! If you're tired of looking for solutions that don't seem to be working, book a FREE consultation with us today to sustain stress management and handle any setback.

Coaching can help you build a stronger team that works well together even during high stress.

When you coach employees, they become more effective at their jobs, which saves you time and money. Coaching helps your team feel more confident, secure and supported. They're more likely to have the best ideas for approaching tricky situations—and they'll be more motivated to take action on those ideas. When managers are more aware of their employees' needs and motivations, it allows them to provide a more supportive environment for their people. Employees are more productive and engaged when they feel secure at work.

Managers can provide security by being good listeners, communicating expectations clearly, and acting as good role models who support their employees. With 67% of employees being disengaged, coaching is one of the most effective ways to build teams today to help organizations succeed by increasing employee engagement. Coaching your employees, or investing in a coach, saves time and money and increases productivity and profits. You can't beat that combo!

Conclusion

When managing stress, don't let your company lose additional finances or time to the effects and results of burnout. To conclude this blog, we recommend that organizations implement stress management programs, including coaching, to help their employees manage stress and prevent burnout. Stress is a factor in many of today's workplace issues and can be managed with the support of managers and leaders who know how to coach their teams.

If you are interested in learning more about preventing and managing stress, fill out this link to get in touch with us today! We offer various stress management services that can help reduce the adverse effects of stress on your organization.