Is stress crushing your team's productivity?
- David Andrews
- Jun 12, 2023
- 2 min read
As a leader, your influence on your people's mental health is extremely high. According to a new study from The Workforce Institute at UKG, you have more impact on a person's mental health than their doctor or therapist and equal to their spouse/parter. This creates a major responsibility for leaders.
How would you rate the stress level of yourself and your team members?
Have you considered your role as a leader in helping your people reduce workplace stress and maintain well-being?
In the study, 43% of employees reported they are exhausted and 78% say that stress negatively impacts their work performance. These are startling statistics and are definitely wreaking havoc on business results. Positive mental health is a key to driving growth and productivity and it is worth investing time and resources to create a culture that promotes the well-being of your people. This is no small task.
When was the last time you invested in creating a safe and positive space for your people to relax and recharge?
When did you last check in with your team and assess their mental health?
During my 33 year career in corporate roles, I spent many years stressed out and sick. Some days barely able to get out of bed and drag myself to work. Thankfully, along the way, I realized the importance of taking care of my own mental health, found some great mentors and put my focus on expanding my consciousness. After that, everything began to improve.
One of the greatest gifts you can offer your team members is the chance to breathe, to pause and reflect and to recharge for another expansion phase. Growth runs best in cycles of intense activity and periodic rest and recharging. Too often the pace of the workforce is non-stop, full speed ahead without any breaks and this leads to poor performance, mistakes, conflicts and wasted efforts.
One way to assist your team, is to schedule rejuvenation time into your team calendar. Make mental health a priority by making a commitment to demonstrate that you care by taking action. Here are a few suggestions you may want to implement:
Schedule a short meditation session once a week
Lead a breathing exercise at the beginning of your team meeting
Focus on gratitude by asking each person to share something they are grateful for
Ask your team members to share one thing they experienced recently that was in alignment with one of their values
Host a Consciousness Coherence Upgrade for your team
Offering multiple experiences for team members to express themselves, reflect on positive experiences and participate in consciousness enhancing activities will go a long way to creating a culture that supports positive mental health.
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