Stress Awareness Month
Stress is an ever-increasing problem in modern day society, with the World Health Organisation referring to it as the “health epidemic of the 21st century”. The culture we live in waits for no man, and it seems that patience is becoming less and less of a virtue, especially in the working world.
Unfortunately, it appears that a healthy work/life balance is something that so many of us struggle to achieve – not just here in the UK, but globally too. While deadlines are of course a necessity, and not something we can avoid, the pressure that these can cause can be hugely detrimental to a person’s health. This situation was highlighted in the Government’s study into Health and Safety in the workplace. It shows that in 2015/16 alone there were 11.7 million sick days due to stress in the workplace.
Luckily, with trends such as the Danish concept of Hygge on the up (seriously, if you haven’t heard of Hygge, where have you been?!) simple ways of sitting back and de-stressing are making their way into our day to day lives. Yes, you may not be able to cosy up in your favourite grey blanket, surrounded by “aurora borealis” scented candles (seriously), sipping organic, ethically sourced hot chocolate at your desk; but ensuring you leave work at the door at 5pm in order to enjoy these simplicities is something we’re all capable of doing – and certainly should be!
April 2017 is Stress Awareness Month, and for us, as a digitally focused office, we take combating stress very seriously. While we can’t necessarily offer up a Hygge, log-fire dream in the workplace, there are certainly things we can be and are doing. Okay, so our employees may spend their days glued to their computer screens – unfortunately for us and many other modern day offices it’s not something we can avoid, but we do have plenty of ways to help bust the stress levels of our dedicated staff members. Here are just some of the things we’re doing to help beat stress in our busy office:
Team Days
Whether it’s a day at the races, paintballing, segwaying or an afternoon trying to solve puzzles and escape from a locked room – no pressure guys – we have regular days out of the office, away from our desks and our daily workload. These days help with the work/life balance.
Regular Massages
Every few months we bring in a masseuse to the office, to help rid those who want it of the aches and pains that anyone who sits hunched over a desk five days a week knows all too well.
Office Yoga
Office Yoga is a relatively new method of stress relief for us and is a proven way to release both stress and tension from your body and mind. Look out for some undoubtedly funny poses and updates on our Instagram feed!
Our Office Space
When we designed our new office last year, we wanted to refresh the workspace and include plenty of places for our staff to unwind, relax and even work out while they worked. From spinning egg chairs to vintage Chesterfields, and from retro video games to the Brain Gym, every corner of our office has something to help us feel more refreshed and less like screaming at our computer screens – hey, we’ve all been there.
What are your suggestions for beating workplace stress?
(Photo courtesy of Alexa Cobbold. Instagram @ohsweetdarling_)