Banishing Burnout: 5 Ways to Combat Stress at Work

Work related stress can devastate a company. It can impact management, owners, and employees. No one is exempt. Wok related stress can cause health issues for the employees and production issues for the company. Stress can also be a potential factor in the downfall of a company if left unchecked.

Yet, in a busy world, how is it possible to reduce stress to a level that is beneficial to the employees and the company? While it may not be possible to eliminate all stress in the workplace, it is possible to implement a few strategies that will be beneficial to all.

1. An Executive Coach. Hiring an executive coach will make the world of difference in your business. All-too-often, executives and management get set in their ways of handling things around a company and it causes more harm than good. In many cases, hiring an executive coach NYC or one based locally to your business, can provide a second opinion on everything from employee policy to scheduling matters, and help implement the change necessary to decrease stress. Sometimes, it just takes the opinion of someone not involved to make things better for that business.

2. Open Lines Of Communication. The employees often know what is wrong with a company before management. They are on the front lines and they know which policies work and which do not. By keeping an open line of communication with all employees, you can correct problems and reduce stress.

3. Scheduled Down Time. It could be something as simple as setting aside one afternoon a month, to have a company lunch or even have a paid half day off. Whatever is decided, the company needs to encourage “down time” for everyone in their employ. By encouraging people to become stress free, you will create an environment where they are stress free.

4. Vacation Time. Make sure that everyone from executives to part time employees has vacation time that will not require them to check into work, follow up with emails, or carry their cell phone “just in case.” Everyone needs time to relax, and the company should not be involved in that relaxation time. Of course, this can be more difficult for business owners or executives, but it is very important to abide by this nonetheless.

5. Accepted Stress. By accepting the fact that stress takes place in the workplace, you can find ways to make it better. One of the worst things that any business can do is ignore the stress levels of their employees.

Stress does not disappear naturally. You do not suddenly come to work and everything is fine from that moment forward. Stress must be managed and managed effectively for the good of the employees and company. Approaching stress in a positive manner will have positive effects on your company and your employees. Employees that are not feeling stressed will be happier and they are more likely to produce more, miss less work, and are beneficial to the company.

This Is How An American Soldier Is Made

For 27 months, Ian Fisher, his parents and friends, and the U.S. Army allowed Denver Post reporters and a photographer to watch and chronicle his recruitment, induction, training, deployment, and, finally, his return from combat.


“I love my country to death, and that’s why I’m here … and that’s why I’m fighting for my country,” Ian says. “That’s why I’m going to Fort Benning during wartime. I love my country and want to fight for it.” Because of the Future Soldier Training Program, Ian will join the Army as a private first class, two ranks above a basic enlistment.

One of the recruits’ first tastes of basic training comes with the sorting of their gear. They are given a series of three two-minute periods to try to sort their bags, which have all been piled in a giant heap…


Ian is introduced to his place in the military chain by drill sergeant David Vance.


On the second day of basic training, Ian checks his stance and the position of his hand as the platoon learns how to salute properly.




Ian stands with his new platoon. He has just a couple of weeks to get integrated with the group before leaving for Iraq.


When it is announced that their flight has been delayed, the troops take to the bleachers and most of them take to sleeping.

Ian and the rest of his squad go through an evening briefing before an escort mission.


“When I come home from Iraq, I’ll be in the best shape of my life,” says Ian, background, who works out in the gym an hour to an hour and a half on alternating days.


It’s been five months since Ian went back to Iraq, and now family and friends gather in a gymnasium at Fort Carson to welcome troops from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team back home from their tour.


Aug. 21, 2009. 9:03 p.m. Ian and 343 other troops deplane at the Colorado Springs airport.


The whole story including all the photos can be viewed at: denverpost.com