How Stress Affects Employee Performance and Solutions

Stress is perhaps the most common challenge that an employee faces at their workplace. The word stress generally has negative connotations. However, not all stress is bad. Some stress is good and is needed. This is called eustress, which serves as a motivating factor to do better and achieve your goals. For instance, the stress you might face before a job interview is good, as it motivates you to prepare and perform better. However, when stress becomes prolonged, it affects the mind and body.

Workplace stress is one of the hazards of “adulting.” Every employee faces it, and this is commonplace. However, chronic and extreme levels of workplace stress can lead to negative consequences like low morale, absenteeism, and even burnout. This impacts not only a single employee’s performance but the entire organization’s performance.

After all, employees make up organizations, and it is their efforts that make organizations tick. So, organizations must make it a point to address and reduce workplace stress their employees might be facing.

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Main Causes of Employee Stress

Stress is among the most talked about workplace challenges, and it is hard not to see why. There are many reasons why employees might have to deal with stress at their workplace, and we shall look at some of the common ones below:

Toxic Workplace Culture

Workplace culture is basically a system of principles and beliefs that set the tone for how employers and employees behave in an organization. In a toxic work culture, dysfunction reigns supreme.

A toxic workplace culture can impact employee morale and lead to lower levels of productivity. Moreover, it can devastate employees’ physical and psychological health as well.

Demanding Workplace

A demanding workplace is characterized by demanding managers and roles. There is a well-known, hard-hitting saying, “Employees leave managers, not companies.” While it is the job of a manager to get the task done, overly demanding managers can lead to unreasonable demands with strict deadlines that can mess with the best of the employees.

Moreover, demanding roles can lead to unreasonable workload and working hours, stressing out even the resilient employees.

Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is one of the pressing challenges for employees all over the world today. Even though remote and hybrid work options are becoming a thing, work-life balance is still difficult to achieve given demanding roles, strict deadlines, and long working hours, among others. Yet, a healthy work-life balance can allow employees to de-stress and unwind, which is central to productivity and performance.

Poor Communication

Communication is key to employee productivity and performance. However, poor communication can lead to a lack of clarity and uncertainty. Not only does this hinder performance, but in worst cases, poor communication can even lead to disasters, especially in high-risk jobs.

Poor communication, whether from a superior or a colleague, can leave employees feeling confused and unsure of what to do. This increases stress and anxiety, putting employees on the edge.

Relationships

As much as we might want to tell ourselves that we do not go to a workplace to make “friends” and remain stoic, the truth is that we often tend to spend more time with colleagues than with family or friends. Relationships inevitably develop. While a supportive workplace becomes conducive to good working relationships, a toxic workplace gives rise to an unhealthily competitive environment where jealousy and envy often dictate the tone of relationships.

If toxic workplace relationships are not paid attention to, they can easily turn into bullying, abuse, and harassment. This can become extremely stressful. Therefore, good managers must keep an eye on the tensions prevailing among employees under them and address them as soon as possible.

Change

The only thing that is constant is change. Yes, change is important and for the better. Yet, change leads to uncertainty and confusion. It can even leave employees stranded, especially those who are not very compatible with the said change. Therefore, it is crucial for organizations to ensure that change is easy for all employees and that everybody is on board with it.

Job Security

The world is going through economic challenges, which has led to many companies laying off employees. This creates anxiety, especially when finances are at stake. Hence, organizations must seek to provide job security, and even in case of layoffs, they must ensure that the employees are taken care of.

Lack of Growth

Progress is important in life. However, many jobs lack the opportunity for growth and development. This can be stifling and even become monotonous for employees. It can lead to stress, as it simply seems like work life has become stagnant.

Top 5 Impacts of Stress on Employee Productivity

When stress levels escalate and move toward extreme levels at the workplace, it can lead to devastating consequences for the employees and the organization. Organizations must, therefore, understand that a “do-do-do” attitude toward employees will eventually come back to bite them. Just to elaborate a bit, the top five impacts of workplace stress on employee productivity are as follows:

Decreases productivity, as it becomes impossible to maintain the same levels of energy at all times. This impacts employee performance, which, in turn, impacts the organization’s performance.
Reduces motivation. Optimal levels of stress are good for motivation. However, prolonged stress can decrease motivation and engagement.
Lowers creativity and innovation. Under stressful circumstances, it becomes difficult for employees to direct their energies to think out of the box and be innovative.
Higher levels of absenteeism are observed, as stress can devastate physical and psychological health.
Heightens the risk of burnout, which refers to physical and psychological exhaustion. Burnout leads to cynicism and detachment from the job.

4 Practical Solutions to Reduce Stress and Improve Results

There are many practical steps employees (you) can take to reduce stress. These stress management techniques will eventually improve productivity, performance, and results.

In general, you can eat a balanced diet, keep yourself hydrated, get adequate sleep (7 – 9 hours per day), and engage in physical exercise. Overall, self-care helps in reducing stress and keeping your body healthy.

Time Management:

At work, you can begin with time management.

Figure out when you are at your best or most productive. Schedule your most demanding tasks during this time.
When tasks are complicated, break them into smaller chunks.
Schedule “think time” in your schedule. Use this time to engage in creative thinking and innovation.
Remember to take breaks. Use the lunch break to get away from your desk and engage with co-workers with whom you get along well.
Move around at work as well. Stand, walk, listen to music, or whatever it is that works well for you to relax your mind and body when needed.

Manage energy:

Demanding jobs and long working hours can deplete you physically and emotionally. Therefore, by managing your physical, mental, and emotional energy, you can engage in productive stress management.

Physical Energy

Aim to focus for 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Then, take a break. Remember to take regular breaks. Set a reminder if you think you will skip your regular break.
Recognize the times when you are not productive. Relax during this time when you are unable to concentrate anymore.
Eat lighter meals during the day to keep your energy levels high.

Mental Energy

Keep away all kinds of distractions when you are performing complex tasks or heavy tasks. Switch off your phone and turn off any kind of distractions around you.
At the end of the day, make sure to list and organize your tasks for tomorrow.

Emotional Energy

Engage in expressing gratitude toward yourself and others. Begin with this every day for a positive start.
Engage in relaxing exercises. For instance, deep breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness.

Reframe Stress:

Workplace stress is common. However, you can reframe this stress into something positive. You can do this by acknowledging stress, recognizing stress as something important, and reframing stress into something positive.

Coping:

Stress management encompasses engaging in healthy coping. Coping with stress involves problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping.

With problem-focused coping, you directly identify the reason for stress and strive to reduce or eliminate it.
With emotion-focused coping, you identify the emotional response giving rise to stress and manage the same. This is especially useful when the reason for stress itself cannot be eliminated.

Final Reflections

Workplace stress is a matter of concern, and while engaging in stress management is useful, the onus is not only on the employees to reduce or eliminate this stress. Organizations must recognize the negative impact of workplace stress and take proactive steps to reduce it.

Yet, realistically speaking, there are times when neither of the above is a possibility. Demanding roles, unreasonable management, and a toxic work culture cannot be overcome by one person. In these cases, speaking to HR or changing jobs might become necessary for health and well-being.