According to the Global Workplace 2021 Report, 43% of respondents in over 100 countries claimed to have experienced stress. Anger, stress, and worry among employees have increased over the years and have reached a record high in 2020. The study shows that the stress percentage among the respondents has increased from 38% in 2019 to 43% in 2020.
Employees experience stress for a variety of reasons such as high job demands, lack of support, inflexible hours, poor work culture, bad management practices, lack of proper resources, etc. As much as these factors affect the health and well-being of employees, it also affects the organization's productivity.
Unhappy employees who are not motivated to carry out their tasks adversely affect the working atmosphere. Maintaining a cordial relationship between employees and the management can facilitate a stress-free environment and aid in the successful realization of company goals.
How workspace stress impacts employee health?
The stressors at the workplace can be many. The intrinsic nature of work, long hours, lack of breaks, the complexity of work, work overload, and monotonous job are some of the stressors employees face. Working in a stressful environment can cause various health problems like headaches, difficulty concentrating, and sleep issues. High levels of stress can lead to anxiety which further impacts health in the form of high blood pressure, depression, insomnia, and heart disease can also affect the immune system making the person vulnerable to other diseases.
The type and nature of work can be a huge stressor for many employees. Employees who do mundane and repetitive tasks find themselves unhappy with the nature of their work and feel stressed. For example, employees who do manual data entry for long hours find it exhaustive. Also, the possibility of making errors is high when dealing with large amounts of data.
There are several businesses that process thousands of documents a day. To process these documents is a tiresome process. Documents come in different formats, and the data entry operators must go through the document to gather relevant data from transferring them. This involves collecting specific data such as customer name, amount, receipt number, etc., from documents such as bills, invoices, receipts, orders, and the like. This data is then typed into a system for further applications.
Imagine how long it will take for data entry operators if they have to go through hundreds of documents a day!
To solve the problem of manual data entry and ease the workload on employees, ICE-Ai, the Intelligent Document Processing Solution from Equatd is the best. Documents that are in different formats can be uploaded to ICE-Ai and will be automatically classified according to their type. Then predefined data from each document type is gathered and then verified against information in the database. ICE-Ai, which uses Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, can help make decisions based on the collected data.
With ICE-Ai, employees can free themselves from the exhausting task of manual data entry and focus on higher-value tasks resulting in less stressed and happier employees.
How to cope with stress at work?
While you may not be able to avoid stress altogether, you can learn to manage it for both your physical and psychological well-being. Here are some ways to cope with stress at work
Take a deep breath
When you are feeling tense, try deep breathing for a few minutes. This will calm you down. You can also include meditation in your daily activities to help deal with stress.
Know your stressors
Identifying and keeping a track of your stressors can help you understand them and how you respond to them. Keep a journal with you and note down what's bothering you and your reactions to them. Also, note down the situation, place, environment, and people involved, and then analyze the stressors and your reactions to them.
Take time to recharge
Always take some time to recharge to save yourself from burnout. Engage in relaxing activities like listening to music, taking a short walk, watching funny videos, etc., to take your mind off things that stress you out. Spend time with your loved ones after leaving work, and during that time do not think about anything work-related. Taking a break from time to time will refresh your mind and body.
Get Support
Relying on trusted friends and family members can also help you cope with stress. Talk to them about the difficulties you face and seek their support. You could also talk to your superior regarding stress at work, and they might put you through employee assistance programs that can help you manage your stress.
Health is the greatest asset. Let go of all practices and situations that can harm a healthy body and mind. A healthy and happy employee can do great things for an organization. Apart from being more productive, they are also motivated and driven to bring the best results.