Spotting and addressing stress

• Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions
• Memory lapses
• Becoming rather vague
• Being easily distracted
• Less intuitive and creative
• Undue worrying and/ or Negative thinking
• Depression and/ or anxiety
• Prone to accidents and/ or errors
• Insomnia or waking tiredness.
• Feeling ‘out of control’ 

• Aches/pains and muscle tension
• Grinding teeth
• Frequent colds and/ or infections
• Allergies/rashes/skin irritations
• Constipation/diarrhoea/ IBS
• Weight loss or gain
• Indigestion/heartburn/ ulcers
• Hyperventilating/lump in the throat/pins and needles
• Dizziness/palpitations
• Panic attacks/nausea
• Physical tiredness
• Menstrual changes
• Loss of libido/sexual problems
• Heart problems/high blood pressure

• Lack of motivation
• Tearful
• Irritable 
• Mood swings
• Being defensive or extra sensitive to criticism
• Being angry and/or frustrated
• Lack of confidence and/or lack of self-esteem

• Not making time for relaxation or pleasurable activities 
• Increased reliance on alcohol, smoking, caffeine, recreational or illegal drugs
• Becoming a workaholic
• Poor time management and/or poor standards of work
• Absenteeism
• Self-neglect/change in appearance
• Social withdrawal
• Relationship problems
• Recklessness
• Aggressive/anger outbursts
• Nervousness
• Uncharacteristically lying

Stress at work affects us all – whether it’s due to workloads, deadlines, workplace dynamics, a crowded commute or all of the above. COVID-19 meant additional stresses related to health, caring, home-schooling or working remotely. The cost of living crisis has implications for financial wellbeing. And many staff are adjusting to blended ways of working – while this may help to reduce stress in some ways, it can also bring its own challenges.

While blended ways of working are here to stay, they need to be properly managed to ensure that they don’t increase stress levels among staff. While there’s evidence that working remotely can increase productivity, it can also mean that people find it harder to switch off, and it can be all too easy to work longer hours than would happen on campus.

Blurred lines between work and home life can make it harder to disconnect and can make staff feel ‘always on’. Blended ways of working can also bring different challenges for line managers, such as overcoming proximity bias and shifting to valuing outputs over someone’s physical presence in the workplace.

Managing workplace stress is about recognising the signs, listening to how people are feeling, and (where possible) taking action at an early stage to tackle the causes of stress.

If staff are working remotely during part of the week – which means that any signs of stress may be less visible – how can line managers help staff to feel supported and less stressed at work?

Blended working works best when managers trust staff. The pressure to be ‘always on’ can lead to digital presenteeism, which is when employees feel under pressure to always be available via email, text, phone, Zoom or Teams. Feeling that you need to constantly demonstrate to your manager that you’re working just as hard remotely as you would in the office can lead to stress and exhaustion. It can also negatively impact your output.

A fundamental driver of employee engagement is knowing what’s expected of you and feeling that this is fair and equal to your peers. Work-related stress is often prompted by uncertainty over how to behave or what’s acceptable. For staff working some of the week from home, these feelings can be heightened by the physical separation from colleagues – it’s harder to see what others are doing and learn what’s OK. This can be especially challenging for new staff who’ve not yet got a sense of how the team ticks. 

As a manager, you can help to overcome some of these stresses by being clear about the behaviours you expect to see from employees – for example, the ways in which individuals can flex their working day to accommodate outside appointments or other commitments (such as the school run). What’s communicated should be applied equally whether someone is working on campus or remotely.

Excessive workload can be a contributing factor to someone's stress - over time, this can lead to burnout (see below). Managers have a fundamental role to play here in supporting their staff to manage workloads effectively, ensuring that workloads remain reasonable, and taking appropriate actions where a workload issue is affecting the team (including, potentially, recruitment and/or seeking additional funding). 

You can also set an example by role modelling good practice behaviours. Talking about wellbeing while sending late-night emails – and chasing them up first thing – may send the wrong message! Instead, take a moment to reflect on how your working habits may need adjusting to match what you’re suggesting to your team.

If you’ve not already done so, make sure that you’ve completed the available modules in the Blended Working Development Programme – the programme includes guidance on managing both individuals and teams, both of which can impact positively on stress levels when done well. 

The usual definition of stress is “the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them”. In practice, ‘stress’ means feeling under too much pressure. This could cover everything from small one-off worries to things that make us very anxious in the long-term. Under stress, we’re usually still able to cope and can feel relief by taking a break and/or asking someone to lend a hand.

Chronic workplace stress – or stress left unmanaged – can lead to burnout. Unlike stress, burnout is when an individual feels mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted. Burned out colleagues can react to their situation in different ways. They might come across as cynical, detached or negative about both their work and working relationships. They may lose confidence and feel incapable of doing their job – but also feel unable to ask for help. 

Experiencing stress over a long time can lead to burnout:

• Everyday ‘stresses’: feeling a challenge, stretch or pressure that we are resilient enough to manage without any significant effect. This is a normal part of most roles.
• A stress ‘problem’: stress becomes a problem when we have feelings and behaviours related to anxiety and are struggling to cope – leading to negative behaviours right now that need addressing.
• Burnout: burnout occurs when there is a long-term failure to cope with stress. It is characterised by ongoing exhaustion, cynicism and feelings of incompetence or underperformance. Left untreated, it can lead to depression. 

Understanding how people are feeling is important. On top of this, it’s important to recognise which factors are causing stress at work so that changes can be made – whether it’s for yourself as an individual or (if you’re also a manager) to benefit your team.

Research has identified six major causes of workplace stress:

1. Job demands
2. Control
3. Support
4. Relationships
5. Role clarity
6. Change

While this may seem like a daunting list, it’s important to appreciate that each of these factors can be acted upon – while there are clearly responsibilities for managing stress that sit at a School-wide level, as individuals we can all take action to benefit ourselves and those around us. 

As an organisation, LSE gets valuable insights into employee wellbeing and the drivers of workplace stress through staff engagement surveys and other feedback mechanisms. Acting locally on this information is a critical part of building a culture where staff feel supported and able to raise any concerns or issues that might be contributing to workplace stress.

On top of this, there are a number of ways you can help your team(s) to address any stresses and anxieties in their daily roles. 

Check in with your team

It might seem surprising but there’s evidence that many people would feel comfortable with their manager proactively asking about their mental health. Make sure you let them know that you’d like to check in about how they’re feeling, and suggest that this becomes a regular part of your conversations.

Point them towards resources

You aren’t expected to have all of the answers. Simply being present for your team and offering a compassionate ear will go a long way.

First, it's naturally helpful to know what resources there are already in the School. The Staff Wellbeing webpages (in particular the Mental Wellbeing page) are a good place to start. If you aren't sure what's available, contact your HR Partner.

If you can’t solve an issue – and you won’t be able to solve all of them – steer the employee in the right direction to find help. You can also speak with your HR Partner to discuss possible strategies for addressing stress in your team.