A 2025 report by Mental Health UK showed an increase from last year in those aged 18-24, 25-34 and 35-44 who needed time off in the past year due to poor mental health caused by stress. This finding acts as a warning sign of a breakdown in trust between employers and younger workers as well as the need to take action against workplace stress.
With April’s Stress Awareness Month having a theme of #LeadWithLove, Executive Coach Beth Hope has some advice for companies and their business leaders…
In line with the theme for Stress Awareness Month, #Leadwithlove, businesses should no longer treat stress as an individual problem but as a business challenge that can make or break organisations. It can influence and shape the organisation and handled incorrectly, can derail even the most carefully planned paths.
For business leaders, employees who are unhappy or stressed will eventually leave, and in the meantime, disengaged employees will cost businesses valuable time in lost productivity. For individuals, the burden of stress can overflow into their personal lives, affecting energy levels, relationships, and social lives outside of work.
The good news is that improving your mental health, confidence, and energy levels doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. There are simple, science-backed techniques that take just a few minutes but can have a huge impact on emotions and performance.
Working with demanding clients or in volatile markets can be characterised by rapid decision and high-stakes outcomes that only heighten the stressful feelings. We often forget the power of pause; taking a moment to focus mindfully on the task at hand rather than churning out fast actions.
An easy yet simple solution is to take a moment to breathe; one of the most powerful (and underused) tools to regulate stress, calm your nervous system, and improve focus, all in under 60 seconds. Deep breathing helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s natural ‘brake pedal,’ slowing your heart rate, and reducing blood pressure – your personal reset button whenever stress or overwhelm creeps in.
By taking the time to stop and think, individuals can gain a clear headspace to better understand the task and regulate their emotions back to a healthy baseline, while also improving work productivity that propel the business.
In our quest to exude confidence, we often search for techniques to help harness our power. Employees can be put into positions where they need to the confidence to carry out a task in stressful situations such as presenting or public speaking.
However, feeling confident isn’t just about mindset, it’s about how you show up physically, too. Though it might feel a bit strange at first, power posing can boost subjective confidence, increase testosterone – linked to assertiveness – and reduce cortisol. The simple act of standing in an expansive posture, shoulders back, feet hip-width apart, chest open, helps you not only feel more confident but gives you that boost.
Business leaders can also create opportunities to be powerful and increase employee confidence. Workplaces may unintentionally box people in with programmed expectations but asking team members to participate in the decision-making process where appropriate centres these employees and reminds them of their valued importance in the business. Designing spaces where people can shape their work to the larger business path can create meaningful connections where they feel supported and heard.
Today’s workplace demands that all of us bring our A game but making small shifts both individually and within the business can form lasting changes. In the midst of conflict, tension, and division, stress often thrives but it’s time we all approached this issue with kindness and compassion. This month, I challenge everyone to make these small changes in order to create a powerful ripple effect on confidence, resilience, and mental clarity.
To learn more about Stress Awareness Month and other related awareness dates, click here – https://mentalhealth-uk.org/get-involved/mental-health-awareness-days/
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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
