Stress Awareness Week: Improve stress management in the workplace

International Stress Awareness Week, observed from 4th-8th November, and Stress Awareness Day (6th November) aim to reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

International Stress Awareness Week 2024 focuses on improving stress at workRun by the International Stress Management Association (ISMAUK), the annual campaign is designed to raise global awareness of stress and stress management, and combat the stigma associated with stress and mental health issues.

In 2024, ISMAUK marks 50 years since it was established. The theme for International Stress Awareness Week this year is Campaigning to Reduce Stress and Improve Wellbeing, which reflects ISMAUK’s core commitments on its 50th anniversary.

Stress Awareness Day is highlight of International Stress Awareness Week

Stress Awareness Day is the highlight and pinnacle of International Stress Awareness Week 2024While International Stress Awareness Week was only established in 2018, the highlight of the week is Stress Awareness Day, which falls on 6th November, and was established by ISMAUK over 25 years ago.

On this day, ISMAUK are hosting their fifth Online Global Stress and Wellbeing Summit, which features expert speakers leading discussions about issues such as championing health, safety and wellbeing in the community, building resilience, fostering a healthy workplace culture and minimising stress in an always-on, digital world.

ISMAUK will also use the summit to announce the winners of their inaugural Stress Management Awards, launched to mark their 50th anniversary.

The awards are designed to recognise organisations that have made significant contributions to enhancing employee mental health and reducing stress in the workplace.

Get involved in International Stress Awareness Week

You can access resources and information to get involved with International Stress Awareness Week 2024ISMAUK offers free downloadable resources and a Stress Relief Playlist to support those participating in International Stress Awareness Week and working to reduce stress and enhance wellbeing at work or at home.

Help raise awareness and join in the discussion on social media using the hashtags #StressAwarenessDay and #StressAwarenessWeek.

ISMAUK suggest that individuals and organisations get involved in the conversation during International Stress Awareness Week by sharing their thoughts and insights on some of the following issues:

  • What can we do to reduce the stigma around stress?
  • How can employers improve the workplace culture around stress?
  • How can stress management professionals assist?
  • Can changes such as hybrid working help to reduce stress?
  • What support is available to individuals suffering from stress and poor mental health?

Normalise talking about stress this International Stress Awareness Week

Meanwhile, leading UK mental health charity Mates in Mind say they “wholeheartedly agree with” the theme for International Stress Awareness Week 2024 and that they campaign to reduce stress and improve wellbeing on an ongoing basis, providing resourcestraining and blogs to support this aim.

It's important to normalise talking about stress and mental healthDuring Stress Awareness Week and on Stress Awareness Day, they are encouraging their supporters to “normalise talking about stress and mental health, and to take time to identify the root cause(s) and address them not only within their own organisation, but also across their supply chains.”

They add: “This will help to address the stigma and therefore give people the confidence and reassurance that it is okay to start a conversation about it.”

On their website they share a film which brings home the “devastating impact” that stress at work can have on individuals and their family, friends and colleagues.

They also highlight the following key figures for 2022-23:

  • Workplace health and safety statistics show that 875,000 people experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety
  • Stress, depression or anxiety therefore accounted for almost half (49%) of all cases of work-related ill-health, and more than half (54%) of all working days lost due to work-related ill-health
  • The main causes cited for work-related stress, depression or anxiety were the demands of the job, lack of control, lack of information and support, workplace relationships and roles and responsibilities

Explaining the legal, moral and financial imperative for managing stress in the workplace, Mates in Mind add:

“Employers have a legal duty of care to ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, including mental health / stress. Mental wellbeing also benefits the business, for example, increased productivity, a reduction in sickness and staff turnover, and it demonstrates that the organisation is a good, safe, and supportive place to work. Research has found that, on average, businesses achieve a £5 return for every £1 spent on wellbeing support.

“Mental wellbeing in the workplace is also good for the employee, for example, improving confidence, purpose, achievement, positive relationships, and inclusion.

“And finally, we know that through working collaboratively, we can be the change that is needed to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace. Ensuring all teams are supported through a proactive prevention strategy which raises awareness, improves understanding and the confidence to address the stigma of mental ill-health and creates supportive workplaces.”

Mates in Mind provides a range of free resources and information, blogs about optimising your mental wellbeing and support services.

Employers must fulfil their legal duty to manage stress in the workplace

Employers must fulfil their legal duty to manage stress in the workplaceTheir appeal to employers was echoed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the eve of International Stress Awareness Week.

Britain’s health and safety watchdog published a press release calling on all employers and business leaders to pay heed to their legal duty to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health at work.

Joining Mates in Mind in highlighting the recent figures for work-related ill-health, the HSE pointed out that the average employee experiencing work-related stress, depression or anxiety took an average of 19.6 days off work as a result. This almost equates to a month off work.

The HSE’s Working Minds campaign aims to support employers to prevent absenteeism due to work-related stress. It provides free online learning, videos, resources and updates and calls on employers to follow the five Rs:

  1. Reach out and have conversations
  2. Recognise the signs and causes of stress
  3. Respond to any risks you’ve identified
  4. Reflect on actions you’ve agreed and taken
  5. Make it routine

The Working Minds campaign is supported by another leading mental health charity – Mind.

Their Head of Corporate Partnerships, Andrew Barrie, said:

“While many of us will face pressure in our working lives, unchecked and unmanageable pressures can lead to strain and can have a debilitating effect, resulting in stress. Stress can cause mental health problems, and make existing problems worse. For example, if you often struggle to manage feelings of stress, you might develop a mental health problem like anxiety or depression.

“It is vital that employers take steps to mitigate against work-related stress and create an environment in which employees can have open and honest conversations about triggers of stress and poor mental health. This can start with just a simple, person-centred conversation between managers and their teams.”

‘Prevention is better than cure’ when it comes to stress

Meanwhile, the HSE’s Work-Related Stress and Mental Health Policy Lead, Kayleigh Roberts, commented:

“Our statistics clearly outline that there is a work-related stress issue in Britain and we want this to change.

“A total of 17.1 million working days were lost in 2022-23, and this figure has a serious cost to the individual and the business. Employers can make a difference by understanding and fulfilling their legal duty to prevent work-related stress and support good mental health at work.

“That is why we are reminding employers during Stress Awareness Week that it is critical they recognise the signs of work-related stress and get to the root causes behind this issue. Prevention is better than cure and understanding the risks is the first step to preventing them.”

The HSE explains that employers are legally required to:

  • Carry out risk assessments for stress and act on the findings
  • Take reasonable steps to prevent work-related stress
  • Organisations with 5 or more employees are required to record the risk assessment in writing

Kayleigh added:

“Although tackling stress may appear daunting for some employers, failing to recognise the signs of work-related stress and acting on them can result in reduced productivity, sickness absence or even losing a valued member of staff. I would urge all employers who are looking for guidance to seek help through our Working Minds campaign, which helps companies follow five simple steps.”

The HSE offers Stress Talking Toolkits to support employers to get these important conversations started.

Focus on resilience this International Stress Awareness Week

Mind says that, although stress itself is not a psychiatric diagnosis and lacks a medical definition, it is closely linked to our mental health.

International Stress Awareness Week highlights the serious impacts of stress when it becomes overwhelmingMost people have experienced stress or been placed under pressure at some point in their lives. Stress is, to some extent, a normal part of life and the feelings it creates can often be productive, providing us with motivation, energy and focus and enabling us to get results.

It is when stress overwhelms us that it can be a problem, and lead to physical and mental health problems. Mind says that struggling to manage feelings of stress can lead to the onset of anxiety or depression, or make existing mental health problems worse.

Similarly, having a mental health problem can cause stress, and this can create a vicious circle. It’s therefore vital that we learn how to manage external pressures effectively and build our emotional resilience so we’re better at coping with stressful situations.

Raise stress awareness with training

Learn about stress awareness with trainingFirst Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safetyfirst aidfire safety, manual handling, food safetymental healthhealth and social care and more.

An accredited Mindful Employer themselves, FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental HealthMental Health Awareness in the WorkplaceManaging StressAnxiety and Phobias AwarenessSelf-Harm Awareness and Suicide Awareness.

They can also provide qualified, approved trainers to deliver accredited Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training courses, including the Adult, Youth and Lite versions.

A trainer from FRT says:

“Studies have long been concluding that we’re a highly stressed nation and that we’ve also experienced an explosion in rates of anxiety and depression in recent years. These are all related and it’s important we tackle them.

“It’s important to recognise the severity of stress and to learn proactive and positive ways for managing, minimising and preventing stress, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.”

Learn the signs this International Stress Awareness Week

Some signs of stress include, but are not limited to:

  • Feeling irritable, aggressive, anxious, nervous or afraid
  • Being unable to enjoy yourself
  • Worrying constantly
  • Experiencing racing thoughts and being unable to switch off
  • Feeling depressed and/or uninterested in life
  • Being unable to sit still
  • Finding it hard to make decisions or concentrate
  • Eating too much or too little
  • Smoking or drinking alcohol more than usual
  • Biting your nails or picking at your skin
  • Being tearful or crying

Focus on improving wellbeing and building resilience this International Stress Awareness WeekMind recommends working on building up your emotional resilience in order to better manage stress. They suggest:

  • Making key lifestyle changes such as adopting a better work/life balance; making time for friends, interests and hobbies; using simple relaxation techniques such as walking or having a bath, and; practice being more straightforward and assertive in your communications with others to avoid them placing unreasonable demands on you.
  • Protecting your physical health by being physically active, eating healthily and getting enough sleep.
  • Be kind to yourself and give yourself a break. This could mean taking an actual break or holiday or just getting a change of scenery. You should also try to reward yourself for achievements, forgive yourself for mistakes and work to try and resolve any conflicts with friends, family or colleagues.
  • Build up your support network by reaching out to friends and family or to your line manager or HR contact at work, speaking to your GP, accessing peer support or looking up specialist websites or support organisations.

There are further treatments for stress if it is severely impacting your quality of life. Always speak to your GP if you are struggling and need support.

Further resources and support

brief summary of our mental health training can now be downloaded as an infographic.

We also have a number of other free infographics available to download which provide simple tips for helping to manage your mental and emotional wellbeing and proactively manage your stress levels. These include:

You can also download our free Guide to Mental Health Training from our website.

For more information about the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.

You can find more information about stress and building emotional resilience on Mind’s website.