Empowering Employee Self-Care in Challenging Times

Three Strategies to Boost Employee Resilience Amid Stressful Events

Employee stress doesn’t just stem from workplace challenges. Constant exposure to negative world news, disturbing information, and distressing images is a significant contributor to anxiety, impacting both individual well-being and organizational health.

A large majority of Americans are anxious about inflation (76%), gun violence (69%), and climate change (61%), with two-thirds feeling anxious about international conflicts. This stress affects work performance, yet more than half of employees (52%) feel their employers aren’t providing enough mental health support.

To better support your workforce and build resilience, consider these three strategies:

1. Foster a Culture of Psychological Safety

Design Team Alliances Create team mission statements that outline how the team will function during difficult times. This collaborative approach helps everyone feel supported and provides a framework for handling stress together.

Invest in Culture Conversations Encourage open discussions about how current events impact employees. This validates their feelings and fosters a supportive environment. Avoid assumptions and gather input directly from employees to ensure their needs are met.

Practice the PIE Check-In Start meetings by checking in on physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being. Leaders should model this by sharing first, creating a space where employees feel safe to express their feelings.

2. Build Awareness

Recognize and Share Your Own Experience As an HR leader, acknowledge how current events affect you and model self-care by sharing your experiences with the team.

Develop Self-Awareness Reflect on how external events trigger your reactions and how these might impact your work. Understand how others perceive you and how you can support your team during stressful times.

Close the Empathy Gap Encourage perspective-sharing to bridge understanding gaps within the team. Promote emotional intelligence and empathy as core values, not just in response to crises, but as part of everyday leadership.

3. Implement Coping Strategies

Set Boundaries Encourage employees to limit exposure to stress-inducing content and instead engage in activities that bring them joy, like reading or practicing mindfulness.

Create Coping Circles Establish safe spaces for employees to share their experiences and support each other. Use tech tools to practice mindfulness together.

Develop Coping Mantras Help employees create personal mantras to manage stress. Encourage them to focus on thoughts that reduce fear or anxiety, reminding them they are supported by their community.

By implementing these strategies, organizations can create a more resilient, mentally healthy workforce better equipped to handle the challenges of today's world.

I hope that you found these tips helpful. If you're looking for more resources on HOW you can support your team, grab my free guide on Mental Health in the Workplace here.

Here's to your success and well-being!

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