Stressed-out employees are less able to focus and more prone to chronic health conditions. Lower your employees' stress levels with these ideas and help them to loosen up at work.

1. Stress-FreeStress-Free
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TO Make Your Workplace a

2. it’s important to
add a bit of fun &
stress-relief to
your workplace.
Loweryouremployees’stresslevelswiththese
ideasandhelpthemtoloosenupatwork.
Stressed-outemployeesarelessabletofocus
andmorepronetochronichealthconditions.
As a workplace manager, you
want to make sure that your office
runs smoothly. However, to retain
your employees and help them be
happier and more productive while
they’re working for you,
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3. Decorate the Low-StressWay
1
Add natural colors and elements
to your office to make it a
stress-free zone.
Blue and green paint not only make
your office look natural, it’s also proven
to help reduce stress levels, enabling
your employees to feel calm
and focused.
When you bring plants into office
spaces, you improve indoor air quality
and relax your employees as well.
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4. OfferIn-Office Fitness
2
Exercising is a tried and true way to beat
stress, but many of us sit for much of the
day. Workplace gyms are a place to burn
off stress, while gardens and other
hands-on workplace projects get
employees active.
Here are a few ideas:
Have a walking or running contest to see
who can accumulate the most miles.
Try hosting a yoga class at the office. Many
yoga studios would be happy to bring their
class to you if you have the space.
Or, conduct an office poll to see what type of
in-office activity everyone would like to stay
healthy as a team.
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5. Schedule aPot-Luck
3
Have your facilities management team
bring in items from home one day for a
casual potluck lunch. Be sure people
sign up for different courses to avoid a
meal full of dessert.
For those who are afraid of the kitchen,
have them bring drinks, plates or
serving utensils.
Encouraging employees to
take a break from the work day and
sit down to converse and eat will help
keep stress levels at bay.
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6. OfferHalf-DaysTwicePerMonth
4
This won’t work for every office, however if
you’re not a brick-and-mortar store that can
afford to close up shop early one Friday
each month, try it out! Your employees will
appreciate the extra time with their families
and a chance to beat traffic (both stress
relievers). To take it a step further, you
could have employees work from home
every other Friday as well.
Many employers may be wary of this
suggestion, however there is evidence to
prove employees are more productive
during their time working when they
are granted special
time off.
One CEO recognizes his "employees' need to
recharge". He mentions their half- days make
"Friday mornings feel unique -- with a final
productive sprint before the extra-long weekend."
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7. Get Flexible
5
Speaking of working from home...
employees often need flexibility in
their schedules, and a workplace
environment that's accommodating
leads to higher levels of job
satisfaction and retention.
Provide flex days so that your
employees can stay home with a sick
child or attend a medical appointment,
and you'll find that your employees
feel less stressed and recommitted to
your flexible workplace.
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8. EncourageOpenCommunication
6
No one likes to work in a hostile
environment, talk about stress
waiting to happen!
When you're in management, make
sure that your employees know that
they can come to you with concerns,
and encourage them to talk them out
with other employees as well.
Be a listener, and help employees
solve their problems when they seek
your assistance.
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9. Add Social Spaces
7
Let’s get together: when you’re
designing your facilities, design social
spaces for your employees. These
might be lunch or break rooms,
game rooms, gyms or even
community gardens.
When you provide places where
employees can relax and socialize in
a less-structured atmosphere, you may
find that new connections emerge
between departments and between
different levels of management.
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10. Decorate During the Holidays
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It needs to be done, so why not
get everyone involved? Have a simple
lunch catered in, and allow everyone
to help with setting up the tree,
hanging lights or setting up a few fun
displays. This also can be done before
Halloween or Valentine’s Day.
It will be a nice change of pace, and
will allow your office to work together
in a new way.
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11. HelpYourEmployees Move
9
The design of the office environment
can make life much less stressful for
your employees. Ensure that your
workplaces are designed for the
easy movement of people, and
provide meeting places as well as
quieter spaces.
When you work to help your
employees move through their
workplace and attend to their work,
you reduce their levels of stress.
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12. LeaveTime forFun
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Whether it’s a Halloween dress up
party, casual Fridays, or a friendly
contest that pits department against
department, create traditions at your
workplace that incorporate
team building with fun.
Teams that connect socially are more
likely to connect when they’re working
together to manage your facilities.
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13. Remember, your job is for
the betterment of everyone,
make changes YOU would like to see changed.
As the workplace manager, part
of the stress and engagement
levels of your workforce depend
on the choices you make.
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