Psychologists’ Tips for a Stress-Free Workplace

Psychologists know that work can be rewarding but can also cause a lot of stress in a person’s life. In Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, where approximately 2.9 million people work for more than 100, 000 companies stress in the workplace is a major issue.

You probably spend a third of your life at work, thinking about work or worrying about work . Being a member of a positive workplace has many benefits. A positive work environment can:
• Enrich your life
• Provide a sense of purpose, accomplishment and contentment
• Help you make social connections and long-lasting friendships

However, when you are subjected to a negative workplace or bad work environment it can contribute to feelings of:
• Stress
• Depression
• Dissatisfaction

If you are unlucky enough to be stuck in a negative workplace leaving is not the only way to make things better. It’s worth it to take the time to get involved to help improve your workplace. The following suggestions will help improve the workplace environment:
• Promote regular team-building activities – this doesn’t have to be an expensive undertaking, you can promote team-building by:
o working on projects as a team (ask everyone to have input in promotional materials or year-end reports)
o getting your co-workers involved in your community (join a charity walk or car wash)
• Create a culture of mutual respect – this is sometimes a hard task to undertake. Mutual respect is something we shouldn’t just teach our kids - we want to practice it in our workplace too. You can set the stage for promoting mutual respect at your workplace by being a role model for your co-workers. To do this, ensure you:
o don’t participate in gossiprno don’t spread rumoursrno don’t talk behind people’s backsrno improve communication by being a good listenerrno be willing to help othersrno be supportive of your co-workers
• Develop ways to make workplace improvements – this doesn’t have to be expensive. You could:
o conduct an anonymous survey that asks people to evaluate the workplace environment and make suggestions rno get everyone involved in making the improvements by forming action committees to take on some of the problem areas identifiedr
Getting involved to help solve problems at your workplace can give you a great sense of accomplishment, help make your workplace better and more enjoyable and lead to productive outcomes for your company as well.
Psychologists know that workplace stress can have a negative impact on you mentally and physically. In Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, work-place stress is often a complaint of individuals seeking counselling. There are many ways to eliminate workplace stress.
Contact a counsellor or mental health professional in your community if you are experiencing workplace stress, anxiety or dissatisfaction with your job.