Tackling Employee Stress: Using Sports and Wellness Programmes as Stress Management Tools

A staggering 75% of American adults will suffer from mild to severe stress every month. Stress is a silent but potentially deadly problem for employees who feel burnt out and overworked.

It doesn't have to be like that, though. There are plenty of options on the table for business owners to help them lower the overall level of employee stress in their workplaces.

One of the best ways to do this is with sports and wellness programs. Let's take a look at the importance of stress management and how we can create a healthier work environment all around.

Keep reading for your ultimate guide to sports and wellness programmes.

The Impact of Employee Stress

The consequences of employee stress reach far and wide throughout an organisation. At the individual level, stress can lead to poor performance, burnout, and issues with physical health.

Some common symptoms of stress include:

1. Fatigue
2. Anxiety
3. Mood swings
4. Difficulty concentrating
5. Poor sleep
6. Changes to appetite
7. Muscle tension and headaches

At an organizstional level, higher levels of employee stress means worse employee health, which in turn means more absences, decreased productivity, and a lack of engagement. Individuals will suffer, their teams will suffer, and the whole company will suffer.

Protecting your workers from being overstressed is vital to running a business in the modern age. Healthy work environments are more productive, and they make more money.

The Link Between Wellness Programmes and Stress Management

The link between sports and wellness and stress management is strong. It gives individuals techniques and tools to help them combat stress and stay at the top of their game.

This all happens because of the psychology of sports. When you take part in a physical exercise or sport, your body begins to release endorphins. Endorphins are your body's natural defense mechanism against feelings of mental and physical pain.

And of course, there are still the traditionally known benefits of regular exercise, like boosted cardiovascular health. Stress can take a big toll on someone's heart. Boosting their cardiovascular health can make them physically more able to ward off the effects of stress.

Sports activities are also great for strengthening character and helping people bond. When you offer an environment for your employees to be part of a team outside of the stressful constraints at work, you allow them to get better at working together in all things.

Employee wellness programs include things like guided meditations, yoga, and other mindfulness exercises. These activities are great at delivering a sense of calm to the work environment. They help your employees lift the strains of the previous day and start each day feeling mentally fresh. They are great for boosting employee retention.

How to Incorporate Sports Programs in the Workplace

The first thing you need to do is establish some clearly defined exercise areas around the workplace. These spaces should be dedicated solely to physical activity and should strive to be detached from the greater work environment.

This could be a spare room not being used in the office, hiking trails near the property, or a dedicated yoga studio. Get creative and use whatever space you want, just make sure it's purely for sports and wellness activities.

Next, you should consider calling in the pros. Professional sports and wellness companies can provide you with consultants and fitness instructors who can take classes and help you seamlessly integrate health and wellness into your business.

Find out about SPORTSESSION solutions here.

A team of professionals will also help drive up employee participation in any activities. Providing regular, reliable exercise sessions with a professional trainer will boost enrolment and fulfillment.

Outside of the physical workspace, you can also make exercise and physical activity part of the culture of your company. Incentivize physically active modes of transport like cycling and walking. Give your employees bike racks.

You can also organize exercise challenges and goals that earn the winner some rewards. Whatever you can think of to help weave physical activity into the heart of your company.

How to Promote Mental Well-Being

Mindfulness sessions like yoga, breathing, and meditation are at the heart of integrating wellness programs in your workplace. But there is slightly more to it than just that.

It's always a good idea to provide your employees with counseling options should they feel they need someone impartial to speak their thoughts to. A professional counselor can help them work through their periods of intense stress and give them tools to combat future occurrences.

Workshops and training are also a couple of great tools at your disposal. Topics can and should vary, but you should try and keep them within the scope of stress management and solid mental health.

Much like with physical activity, you also need to try and build a culture of wellness within the organization. Encourage and provide a good work-life balance for your employees. Ensure they're taking regular breaks and even consider offering flexible working arrangements. You'd be surprised how well this works.

Encouraging Employee Participation

It's all well and good launching these initiatives for your employees, but you need to make sure that they participate in them.

Start by being upfront about the need to reduce stress and increase wellness in the office. Talk them through the benefits of taking part in these programs and the effect they will have on the entire office.

Incentivize active and enthusiastic participation and make sure to properly recognize employees that are really committing to the spirit of the programs.

Sports and Wellness Programs for Your Business

So, do you want lower employee stress and a healthier, more productive work environment? We thought your answer might be yes. Luckily for you, that's exactly what Sports Session does.

We offer a range of services to promote corporate wellness and physical activity. We have a team of trainers and wellness experts that would love to work with your company.

Sign up today to see how we can help you.