Are you asking your employees to do more with less resources and time?  With so many companies in the survival mode having gone through layoffs and mission changes, chances are you and your employees are potentially more stressed than you have been in a long time.

Are you looking for the signs of employee stress?  Here are some things that you can look for in your employees and while you are at it, do a self check!

• Are you noticing your employees:
  • Are quicker to get defensive
  • Are angry more often
  • Are crying or sad
  • Are silent more than normal
  • Are they picking or biting their nails
  • Are they having visible signs of facial breakouts that they never had before
  • Are they yawning more often
  • Are they overly energetic
  • Are they always eating
  • Are they never eating

  

The list could go on and on, but these are some visible signs.  What can you do to help your employees?  You can talk to them, be the Manager that demonstrates concern and appreciation for the work they are doing.  If you know your employees are working under tight deadlines, acknowledge their efforts.  You may want to have a meeting outside rather than in a conference room or your office to provide sunlight and a change of pace.  When employees are working hard, they tend to not get the natural light we all need to remain healthy.

When having meetings, take a break and have the attendees stand up and stretch!  Take a few moments at the beginning and end of the meeting to ask the participants to take a few deep breaths and relax.  If you think this is a strange thing to do, try running your office with stressed out people.  As a manager you are a catalyst for change.  Let your staff know that you know there are many reasons to be stressed, but that you are there to help.  Talk to them about the fact that they have a choice in how they respond to their environment.  Remember, we can all REACT to a situation or RESPOND.  When we RESOND we are more in control.  Why?  Because we took the time to think and not react on impulse.

And if you are the type to take food into the office, make it healthy.  Instead of donuts, try fruit.  Instead of soda how about juices?  Demonstrating healthy eating during a time of stress is another way to show you care.