When stress balls won’t cut it

Stress is not always bad. Good stress can improve efficiency and memory, spur people to accomplish their goals and even boost immune systems. But, as with anything that’s good, too much stress can be harmful, especially when it rears its head in the workplace.

So says a study by the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health and Meritain Health, which surveyed 411 employees with medical benefits about work-related stress.

A whopping 94 percent said stress affects job performance. Yet 52 percent of employees said their employers do not address stress, work/life balance or mental/behavioral health with employees.

That’s a major oversight that can snowball through a workplace, affecting attitudes, co-worker relationships, productivity and work quality. The surprising thing is, many employers do have mental/behavioral health benefits, but don’t promote them. And over a third of the survey respondents said they’d be more likely to access those benefits if they knew about them.

So if you’re experiencing major stress, start your week right by looking into your company’s benefits, and seeing what works best for you. Now that’s what I call a “mental health day.”

Posted by Anna M.