Workplace stress can be debilitating. Here are some tips and tricks for alleviating workplace stress.

1. Workplace Stress: Signs You Need
to “Step Back” and How to Do It

2. • Workplace stress can be smothering.
It affects every foundation of your
wellbeing (your appetite, your focus,
your energy levels, your sleep) and
the worst part is that many
chronically stressed workers don’t
even recognize the stress.
2

3. • In the U.S., depression caused by
stress leads to $51 billion in costs due
to absenteeism and $26 billion in
treatment costs, while stress causes
about one million workers to miss
work every day.
3

4. Signs You Need To Take
A Step Back

5. • Just a handful of the common signs of
stress are:
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Apathy
• Irritability
• Poor concentration
• Low mood
• Alcohol abuse
• Low productivity
• Regular absence
5

6. • The hardest part for many employees
is attributing these symptoms to
stress.
• A huge part of the problem is how
stress is viewed: namely, that it’s part
of life, something to be overcome,
and that succumbing to stress makes
you weak.
6

7. Recognizing The Signs:
Is Stress Hurting Your Mental Health?

8. • The common signs of stress are well-
known — it’s recognizing them in
ourselves that’s difficult.
• One of the best things you can do is
check in with your mental health at
work. Put a recurring appointment in
your calendar (to make sure you
always have time) for a weekly
wellbeing check-up.
8

9. • When suffering from a lack of sleep or
complex emotional situations at
home, the hangover into the
workplace is unavoidable.
• It can be something as small as a
minor, unaddressed tension in your
relationship. A mental check-up can
raise the red flags.
• Another option is to schedule a
weekly meetup with a friend, family
member, colleague, or partner. Use
this time to assess how you’re both
feeling and talk openly about work
and stress.
9

10. Using Absence To Address Stress

11. • Once any physical and mental
symptoms of stress have been
recognized, the first port of call is
almost always a leave of absence.
• This could be as little as an
afternoon’s recuperation or several
months of proactive, complex
recovery.
11

12. • Work-life balance might not always
be perfect but striking the right
balance does sometimes require a
little extra R&R just to catch up.
• This time should be used to identify
what is causing the most stress and
what to do about it. The return to
work should come with change to
prevent the same stress buildup from
re-occurring.
• If you identify unreasonable pressure
from your boss, you need to meet,
discuss, and plan for how your
relationship needs to change.
12

13. Want more?
Binge watch… Read the full blog… Like some podcasts!

14. Have we met socially?

15. Thank you!