Stress Awareness Month: 5 Essential Tips For Gen Z Employees To Manage Workplace Tension

With April being Stress Awareness Month, here are some simple ways to manage your stress levels at work and keep your worries at bay. Read more to seek expert advice on maintaining your mental and emotional health at work.

Some Gen Z professionals are adopting strategies like 'act your wage' or 'quiet quitting' to avoid early burnout (Pic courtesy: Unsplash)

April has been recognized as Stress Awareness Month since 1992 to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Lately, stress is an integral part of our everyday lives spanning from workplace to healthcare, stress has become the biggest public health concern owing to many mental health issues it can lead to. According to a 2023 Deloitte survey involving 14,483 Gen Z individuals from across 44 nations, about 46% experience constant anxiety and stress in the workplace. Moreover, over a third express feelings of exhaustion, low energy levels, and mental disengagement from their jobs, primarily due to negative environments or cynicism.

With most individuals spending more and more time at work, workplace stress has consumed the lives of the very lively and vibrant GenZ employees so to speak. Ms Piyali Maity, Counselling Psychologist, Clinical Director – Counselling Operations, at 1to1help says, "Gen Z employees face a variety of stressors at work, which can be influenced by their unique generational characteristics, societal trends, and economic factors. Concerns regarding job security/ future career prospects, student loan debt, rising cost of living, and entry-level salaries can contribute to financial stress for Gen Z employees."

Further, Mr Mahua Bisht, CEO adds, "Gen Z is a generation that seems to be very open to seeking help and is a lot more literate in mental health than I certainly was at that age which is worth saluting. Nevertheless, in my experience, a few things to be mindful of that could help younger employees feel and manage their stress better include:

- Communicate effectively at work: Proactively communicating when things are unclear, especially deadlines, quality of work, and workload helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that you can get the support that you need from your colleagues and managers in time.

- Being mindful of how you respond to stress: Wanting to avoid or distract ourselves as quickly as possible from stress is a natural thing to do. And often the way that we might do that is to doom-scroll or drink/smoke excessively. Ensuring that you also find healthy ways to have fun and reset is equally important.

Tips for GenZ to Manage Financial Worries and Career Uncertainty

Here are some quick tips for Gen Z employees to better manage workplace stress and maintain their well-being while achieving success in their careers:

1. Prioritize self-care- Make it a priority to eat well, practice relaxation techniques, Sleep and exercise regularly. Take breaks to rest and recharge.

2. Communicate effectively and set appropriate boundaries both at home and at work.

3. Seek support- Talk to friends and family you trust.

4. Set smaller achievable goals- Focus on what is under your control and let go of things that are not.

5. Forgive yourself for things that you didn’t do well and accept yourself without conditions.