Try Using These 3 Tips From a Psychologist to Manage Workplace Stress

Your workers are under more pressure than ever, and failing to address its impact affects your bottom line.

BY KAYLA WEBSTER, STAFF EDITOR

Workplace stress is at an all-time high, and it’s not staying at the office. Employees are bringing their fears and frustrations into their home lives, and it’s not healthy for family dynamics or the businesses they work for, a clinical psychologist says.

The latest Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data shows that more than 80 percent of U.S. workers currently experience workplace stress. And more than half of these employees say these stressors are impacting their home lives. People said their chief work-related worries remain job security in an uncertain economy and concerns over their job performance. It’s an added psychological burden when work stress affects employees’ personal lives, especially when the people they care about most depend on their paychecks.

“Work is coming home with a lot of people,” says Dr. Jessica Gomez, a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Momentous Institute, a nonprofit providing therapy services to children and families in Dallas, who also specializes in staff development and training. “And that stress is showing up in the classroom and in therapy.”

Gomez notes that workplace stress places strain on family dynamics, especially in those with young children. Kids notice their parents’ change in behavior and are able to connect it back to current events—they often ask about these things in class and therapy sessions, she says. Helping families navigate these difficult questions is part of the nonprofit’s mission, but Gomez says companies could do more to help. And they should, if for no other reason than for a healthy bottom line.

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“If an employer is not talking about mental health, it is impacting your retention, your recruitment, and your productivity,” Gomez says. “Most businesses are driven by human potential and human talent, and happy folks create great productivity and healthy cultures.” 

She’s not wrong. Studies in the National Library of Medicine show stress leads to physical illness, which costs employers in both absenteeism and lost productivity. Employees who are pushed to their limits may be lucky enough to find new roles at different companies—and replacing them won’t be cheap. All of these factors combined cost U.S. employers around $300 billion annually, according to OSHA.

“It costs you more to go replace the talent and look for the talent, versus if you can keep the talent and keep the talent happy. You do that by creating a sense of belonging and a healthy culture,” Gomez says.

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