Help Your Employees Reduce Stress During the Holidays

Help Your Employees Reduce Stress During the Holidays

During the holiday season, most people feel some degree of anxiety or stress. According to a survey from Think Finance and reported on nbcnews.com, 45 percent of Americans would prefer to skip Christmas altogether. And according to a poll by the American Psychological Association, nearly a quarter of Americans report feeling “extreme stress” come holiday time. Holiday stress statistics show that up to 69 percent of people are stressed by the feeling of having a “lack of time,” 69 percent are stressed by perceiving a “lack of money,” and 51 percent are stressed out about the “pressure to give or get gifts.”

Stress and your employees

As an employer, what does an increased level of stress mean to productivity and the health of your workers and your business? The stresses of the holiday season can manifest into a variety of troublesome symptoms in your workforce, including:

  • Headaches
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Fatigue
  • Exhaustion
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Short temper
  • Upset stomach
  • Reduced job satisfaction and morale
  • Aches and pains
  • Loss of appetite
  • Changes in behavior
  • Decline in productivity and work performance

What can you do?

You can take simple steps to help your employees manage the inevitable stress of the holidays:

  • Listen to your team and watch for obvious signs of stress
  • Take time to educate your staff about the effects of the added pressures of the season
  • Let your employees know that stress is normal and manageable
  • Consider offering a more flexible schedule during November and December to accommodate the added demands outside the office*

*A study by Accenture found that 54 percent of surveyed workers said that flexible hours during the holidays would help reduce stress.

Wellness education and counseling can also help to greatly alleviate stress in your workforce. Here are some simple suggestions:

  • Ask employees to power down their smartphones for set timeframes to promote relaxation
  • Suggest a no-screen (computers and phones) window to relieve neurological fatigue
  • Encourage employees to listen to their bodies for signals of stress
  • Emphasize the benefits of a regular sleep schedule, healthy diet and exercise
  • Offer tips for planning ahead and not being too hard on oneself
  • Consider one-on-one coaching with an experienced wellness provider
  • Make other professional resources available to your employees, as needed

During the holidays, your workplace will be healthier, safer and more productive if you get involved and show support for your employees. What’s more, the holidays will be less stressful for you and the rest of your leadership team.

How Healics can help

At Healics, we have tools and resources to help your employees manage stress and health — during the holidays and throughout the year. Whether you are a company of two or 10,000, Healics can work with you develop a wellness or coaching program that helps your employees manage stress year-round and take the necessary steps to improve their health. We’re nurse-owned and -operated, and will partner with you to create a wellness culture that helps to lower insurance claims, reduce health premiums — and most importantly — allows your employees to lead healthier, happier lives.

Want to give your employees the benefit of better health? Call us at 1-800-HEALICS today or contact us now.

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