This Stress Awareness Day it is essential to highlight how stress can affect our everyday lives if not managed effectively.

As an organisation we acknowledge that workplace related stress is one of the main contributing factors and we never want our employees left feeling overwhelmed and unable to enjoy the occupation that they’re in.

There are many mental and physical signs that can be linked to stress. Some of these include fatigue, high blood pressure, feeling irritable, overwhelmed and many more which can be found in the document below. It is important to recognise the main work pressures that can cause these symptoms, these include:

• Long hours
• Excessive workloads
• Tight deadlines
• Organisational change
• Lack of support at work
• Harassment or bullying

At Siamo Group, we realise the importance of mental health and wellbeing and the need for more advocacy on these matters, we never want our colleagues to cope with stress at work alone so we have put together some general ideas/tips that can aid the pressures of workplace stress:

• Stay organised – Create schedules for yourself and work on your time management skills. Divide large tasks into smaller, more manageable sections. This will help you feel in control and keep stress at bay.
• Raise concerns with your manager or HR – If you feel that certain factors are contributing to high levels of stress, make your voice heard. Your manager or HR personnel can help make changes at work to prevent stressful situations.
• Create a work-life balance – It’s crucial to look after your own personal needs and set aside ‘me-time’ regularly to prevent burnout. Spend time with your loved ones outside work and prioritize time for rest.
• Maintain close workplace relationships – The more you interact positively with your peers at work, the more you’ll feel included. This kind of social support helps employees feel respected and valued in the workplace.
• Practice mindfulness – Mindful breathing has several health benefits, including reducing stress. Take at least five minutes every workday to focus on your breathing.
• Have a healthy, balanced diet – Nutrition and mental health are closely linked. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and water in your diet. Eat regularly and bring a healthy meal to work most days. This can help reduce the temptation to eat unhealthy snack foods.

As well as supporting our employees, we feel it is also important that support for stress and wellbeing is available to our learners. Roberta Patton, our Wellbeing Officer within our Training Division works closely with our external Health Assured Programme, where learners can gain support with things such as Mental Health Counselling, Stress, Anxiety and any other concerns they may need support with. We are constantly looking at new ways to expand grow to support our staff and our learners – the foundation of our organisation.

Our guide to understanding and managing workplace stress can be found here: Managing Workplace Stress