Stress Awareness Month is an annual awareness event held in April, dating back to 1992. According to HSE research, accounted for 22.1 million lost working days in 2024/25, making it more important than ever for employers and managers to understand the causes and impact of stress in the workplace.
Here, we share simple stress management tips to help your leaders and managers feel more prepared to help employees deal with stress and avoid burnout this Stress Awareness Month.
Dealing with change
Research by organisational psychologist Jim Bright suggests a third of us would avoid change if we could.
Our brains are wired to expect familiarity, but life often throws us curve balls that require us to adapt to change, both in and out of the workplace. For employees and managers, changes in the workplace can be a significant cause of stress, often causing a change in behaviour, concentration, productivity and attitude in the workplace. While employees may be struggling to find a new normal in times of change, managers are tasked to guide their people through.
To help your team cope with change, encourage them to focus on the things they can control and allow them to have a say in organisational decisions along the way. For shareable tips on dealing with change, try our blog on coping with change-related stress.
Spotting the signs of stress
It’s important to check in with individuals who may be showing signs of stress. Those closest to the employee are best placed to do this, so line managers should be aware of the symptoms and know how to respond.
Look out for these common red flags within your team which may signal that it’s time to step in:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Forgetfulness
- Trouble with decision making
- Booking last-minute days off
- Worrying about routine tasks
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Short-temperedness
- Increased use of alcohol or cigarettes
Five stress management tips
- Ensure managers are trained to offer support and feel confident doing so. Our health leadership training webinars offer a useful introduction, suitable for all levels.
- Encourage employees to take time out, whether it’s a long weekend or simply a lunchtime stroll to recharge.
- Where possible, allow people time to plan ahead. This healthy habit makes it easier to deal with new situations.
- Be honest about your own stress levels and reassure employees that they can approach you for support without judgement.
- Keep in touch with your team and ask direct questions about their workload and stress levels in your regular catch ups.
Some conversation starters for stress management to try
- How are you coping with the current situation?
- How manageable is your workload at the moment?
- What helps you switch off at the end of the day?
- How do you feel about your current deadlines – are they realistic?
- What can I do to support you?
Useful resources and links
For more help, advice and training support for stress management, see:
- Stress.org.uk The Stress Management Society
- Wellbeing webinars On topics including resilience and work-life balance
- Mental Health First Aid courses Certified training to help your people support each other