It’s International Stress Awareness Week, and the theme this year is all about optimising employee wellbeing through strategic stress management.
International Stress Awareness Week takes places from 3rd-7th November, with today (5th November) marking Stress Awareness Day and the sixth Global Online Stress and Wellbeing Summit.
Led by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), International Stress Awareness Week continues to attract strong media interest.
Stress awareness is ‘win-win’ for employees and businesses
This year, it aims to spread the message that workplace cultures which prioritise “growth, support, recognition, and psychological safety,” are essential. ISMA says that organisations which create and sustain such a culture “empower individuals to succeed while reaping the benefits of a healthier, more productive workforce, creating a win-win for employees and the organisation alike.”
In short, helping employees to manage and reduce stress makes good business sense.
This is a message that both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) have long been championing.
In fact, the HSE wants to remind all employers that it’s also actually a legal obligation. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers have a legal responsibility to reduce the risk of work-related stress.
Britain’s health and safety watchdog explains that mental health “is a health and safety issue – and must be treated as such.”
In their annual health and safety statistics report for 2023-24, the HSE reported that 776,000 workers suffered from work-related stress, depression or anxiety. This represents nearly half of all cases of self-reported work-related ill-health and equated to 16.4 million lost working days.
Ensure legal compliance this Stress Awareness Week
They suggest some simple, practical steps that all organisations can take during International Stress Awareness Week to ensure legal compliance and foster a healthier, happier and more resilient workforce.
These include:
- Reviewing their stress risk assessment to ensure it is up to date and effective
- Using HSE’s Talking Toolkits to help start open conversations about stress, mental health and wellbeing
- Signposting further guidance and learning – such as the HSE’s free Working Minds online learning modules for managers
- Looking out for early signs of work-related stress, like absence, low morale or conflict
- Make it routine by treating stress prevention the same as any other workplace health and safety issue
The HSE’s Working Minds campaign helps employers and workers prevent work-related stress.
The campaign includes free resources such as posters, a podcast and an app. There’s also advice and guidance for employers and different sectors, help for workers and information about supporting the campaign and becoming a Working Minds Champion.
Focus on transforming workplace health this Stress Awareness Week
Meanwhile, IOSH warns:
“Prolonged exposure to work stressors can leave workers vulnerable to negative effects on health and wellbeing, causing illnesses ranging from headaches and gastrointestinal disorders through to depression and anxiety disorders, heart attacks and diabetes.”
The leading professional health and safety body point to estimates from Deloitte which suggest that poor mental health at work now costs UK employers up to £56 billion each year.
IOSH believes that issues such as burnout, exhaustion, mental distance from the job, insecurities and uncertainty have all resulted in a rise in problems such as absenteeism, presenteeism and labour turnover, which negatively impact businesses as well as employees.
Their recent report, Fixing sick Britain, explores practical steps to transforming workplace health and creating more productive workplaces. It includes a focus on work-related stress and mental health issues.
National charity Mates in Mind also supports International Stress Awareness Week, acknowledging that stress can have a “devastating impact,” on people.
They provide a range of reading on mental wellbeing and free resources for organisations and add that “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.”
Training to recognise and manage stress
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading national training provider delivering courses in subjects such as health and safety, first aid, fire safety, manual handling, food safety, mental health, health and social care and more.
An accredited Mindful Employer themselves, FRT’s specialist mental health training courses include Understanding Mental Health, Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace, Managing Stress, Anxiety and Phobias Awareness, Self-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
National mental health charity Mind 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
A 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:
- Managing Stress at Work
- Manage Your Stress at Work
- Manage Your Stress
- Support Your Mental Health
- Connect With Nature
- Work Well From Home
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.