Try Using These 3 Tips From a Psychologist to Manage Workplace Stress

Your workers are under more pressure than ever, and failing to address its impact affects your bottom line.

By Kayla Webster

Workplace stress is at an all-time high, and it’s not staying at the office. Employees are bringing their fears and frustrations into their home lives, and it’s not healthy for family dynamics or the businesses they work for, a clinical psychologist says.

The latest Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data shows that more than 80 percent of U.S. workers currently experience workplace stress. And more than half of these employees say these stressors are impacting their home lives. People said their chief work-related worries remain job security in an uncertain economy and concerns over their job performance. It’s an added psychological burden when work stress affects employees’ personal lives, especially when the people they care about most depend on their paychecks.

“Work is coming home with a lot of people,” says Dr. Jessica Gomez, a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Momentous Institute, a nonprofit providing therapy services to children and families in Dallas, who also specializes in staff development and training. “And that stress is showing up in the classroom and in therapy.”

Gomez notes that workplace stress places strain on family dynamics, especially in those with young children. Kids notice their parents’ change in behavior and are able to connect it back to current events—they often ask about these things in class and therapy sessions, she says. Helping families navigate these difficult questions is part of the nonprofit’s mission, but Gomez says companies could do more to help. And they should, if for no other reason than for a healthy bottom line.

“It costs you more to go replace the talent and look for the talent, versus if you can keep the talent and keep the talent happy. You do that by creating a sense of belonging and a healthy culture,” Gomez says.

As someone with experience in both mental health and staff development, Gomez says companies can proactively manage their employees’ stress before your company feels the cost. Here are three strategies you can use that don’t cost a thing:

1. Model boundaries

Employees feel pressure to work after hours, which isn’t healthy for their mental health or home lives. To feel comfortable setting healthy boundaries, management has to lead by example.

“Every other week, on Friday at 8 a.m., I go see my therapist, and I put it on my calendar because I’m trying to open the conversation up about how we can invest in our mental health and well‑being. I actively talk about it to model it and destigmatize it,” Gomez says.

2. Encourage the use of sick time and PTO

Sick time isn’t restricted to physical illness, and employees shouldn’t wait until stress manifests into one to use it. Companies should remind employees that it’s okay to use one of their sick days to cope with a mental health issue, which includes stress.

“We explicitly say, ‘if you’re sick, you’re sick.’ We’re not going to ask you, ‘Is it physical? Is it mental?’ That time is yours,” Gomez says.

And that goes for vacation time too. Gomez notes that employers should encourage workers to use their PTO to spend time with loved ones or simply recharge. 

“We have to stop looking at people as one-sided. It’s not just physical, it’s mental well‑being. If people aren’t well, they’re not going to help your business,” she says.

3. Take it outside

Gomez and her team created an outdoor meeting space with comfortable furniture to hold meetings after reading about the stress-reducing effects nature has on the body. If it’s a meeting with one person, sometimes she’ll suggest doing a walking meeting to throw in the benefits of exercise.  

“Let me tell you, the world of difference it makes just to get fresh air and sunshine,” Gomez says. “If I can’t do a whole meeting, I’ll go outside for five minutes and let the sun hit me and then come back in. We call it a nature break or a brain break.”

You don’t have to invest in furniture or build an outdoor space at your office to experience the benefits of nature. If your office is in a city, simply walking outside the building or to a nearby park can be just as beneficial, Gomez says.

These strategies for reducing the stress levels of your workforce don’t cost anything, except time. Choosing not to be proactive about the mental health of your workforce, however, will cost you big time.

“Mental health is part of the human experience, and to not have it be part of your work plan or your company culture sets you up for failure,” Gomez says. “These are humans at the end of the day, so mental health has to be part of the conversation.”