4 Stress Busters for Better Company Culture

4 Stress Busters for Better Company CultureStress weve all been there. Whether its a coworker, a big project, or we just feel overwhelmed, stress is unfortunately a common occurrence in todays modern workplace. The company culture youve worked so tirelessly to maintain and develop, however, can be irreparably damaged by the stress of your workers.You cant exactly tell a talented candidate you have a fun-loving company culture in the video interview if theyll binnensee future coworkers shambling along like overworked zombies when they come around for an in-person meeting.Besides, stress can have a very negative effect on worker productivity and health. According to a study by Com-Psych, at least half of employees said stress made it harder for them to focus. Further, 20 percent of workers said stress made them more likely to miss deadlines or make errors, while 15 percent blamed stress for problems in the office with coworkers.None of this is good for your companys bottom-line or for your company culture. So how can you bust this stress and get employees excited about coming into work? Here are some tipsParks and RecreationSometimes you really do just need to stop and smell the roses. Pick a day and use it as a recreation day to get out of the office. Maybe go to the park and have a picnic, or pick a group activity everyone is excited to do. Around the holidays, you can even use these outings to pick pumpkins or apples for a fun seasonal activity.Its important to talk to your staff so you have a good idea of what everyone will enjoy. For instance, you dont want to force everyone to take a hike when what they really want is to jam to some karaoke. Done correctly, these outings wont just kill stress, but also they will work as an effective bonding experience. You can strengthen your company culture by getting your staff together out of the office and under the big blue sky.Pamper Your StaffSometimes all your staff needs is a little TLC. You can help them out by en couraging your workers to pamper themselves. Bring in masseurs and motivate your workers to take a little spa dayin the middle of the work day.Nothing melts the worries away like a little relaxation. If you help employees treat themselves during tough times to cut down on stress, youll also see an uptick in morale and productivity.Get CenteredExercise can be a great way to help employees melt the cares away. But perhaps instead of a game of basketball, you can provide employees with the relaxation of a nice yoga class. Providing yoga or meditation classes can help employees get out of their own heads and clear their minds of all that stressful clutter.Sometimes the best solution to a problem that has been worrying you all day is to redirect your thoughts. With a meditation or yoga class, employees can chant the stress away and come back clear-eyed to tackle the issue.Get ActiveMaybe your employees are more into cardio than downward facing dog? Exercise can help employees release nee ded endorphins to keep them centered and happy. For workers sitting behind a desk all day, having a basketball court or exercise class can help them get healthy and get moving.As an added benefit, more active employees are also healthier employees. Employee health can lead to better productivity, more motivation, and better ideas. On the employee side, studies have shown workers who exercise earn 9 percent more on average than their more stationary coworkers. Your company culture will be improved by getting your desk potatoes out of their seats and working up a bit of a sweat, so they can return to their cubicle energized and ready to tackle any project.Your company culture is important, certainly too important to let it be undermined by employee stress. With these easy stress busters you can save your culture and make your company more attractive to potential candidates as well. Think of how great your work environment will sound to talented candidates in the video interviewWhat ar e some stress busters you use to improve your company culture? Share in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by bottled_void.