As an employer, the last thing you ever want is for your employees to get stressed out at work. Workers who are stressed out will be less productive and more prone to making mistakes on the job. In addition, they will be more likely to miss work because stress can lead to many other health problems. Workers who end up so stressed that they cannot work can even sue for compensation.
In order to avoid these problems, smart employers will have their workers engage in stress-relieving activities on the job. Here are some stress-relieving exercises recommended by Elevate Training Centre, a personal training centre in Stafford. Your employees can do at work to reduce their stress levels and keep them productive.
Table Games
One of the most enjoyable ways that you and your employees can relieve stress at work is to play foosball or another fun table game. Add some table games to your break room so that your employees can get some exercise and relieve stress. The fun and camaraderie of playing foosball, pool or table tennis during work breaks is a great way to reduce stress and cut down on office tension.
Deep Breathing Exercises
Workers do not need to even get up to enjoy the stress relief of deep breathing exercises. With deep breathing, participants will reduce their heart rate and blood pressure. They will experience an instant feeling of calm that they will carry with them when they get back to work. You should recommend that your employees practice deep breathing exercises at least a couple of times a day. Any time they are feeling stressed, they should take a few minutes to concentrate on taking deep, full breaths. Before they know it, they will feel much calmer and more relaxed.
Walking
The last thing you want is for your employees to sit at their desks all day. Sitting for long stretches of time is very hard on the body and will greatly increase stress levels. For this reason, you should encourage your employees to get up and walk around the office at least once every two hours. Ten minutes of walking every couple of hours will help to keep your employees much more relaxed and free of anxiety. You can even get the whole staff together once a day for a longer walk of 20 or 30 minutes to boost the whole company’s spirit.
Yoga
There is perhaps no better way to relieve stress than to start a daily yoga practice. Practising yoga postures, formally known as asanas, are a great way to loosen muscles and reduce the tension that builds up in them at work. It is a great idea to encourage your employees to keep yoga mats at their desks. They can unroll them and do a few minutes of yoga any time that they are feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. You should also bring in yoga instructors that can lead the whole office in yoga sessions once or twice a week. It could be a good idea to set aside a room in your building as a yoga studio where workers can go to practice during their breaks.
Take the Stairs
You can get some great exercise at work by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you want to make sure your employees get a real good workout, encourage them to take the stairs two at a time to get their hearts pumping extra fast. You could even have company races on the stairs to have fun and get fit.
Do Some Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the best total body fitness exercises. One of the best things about them is that you can do them anywhere. Your employees can do push-ups without even walking away from their desks. They can drop down and do 20 push-ups in a minute, raising their heart rates and getting instant stress-relief. For those who cannot handle full push-ups, they can modify them to make them easier by doing them with their hands on their desks and their bodies at a 45-degree angle
The Bottom Line
Getting fit is one of the best ways for people to manage their stress. If you want your employees to be more productive, you need to look for ways to motivate them to exercise more. The easiest way to do this is to encourage them to get up out of their chairs and engage in physical activity while they are on the job. If you follow these recommendations, you will find that your employees start to manage their stress levels much better. This will make them more productive, and it will also help to keep them healthy and reduce their time out on sick leave.
