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TO Make YOur WOrkplace a

it’s important to add a bit of fun & stress-relief to

your workplace.

Lower your employees’ stress levels with these ideas and help them to loosen up at work.

Stressed-out employees are less able to focus and more prone to chronic health conditions.

As a workplace manager, you want to make sure that your office runs smoothly. However, to retain

your employees and help them be happier and more productive while

they’re working for you,

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Decorate the Low-Stress Way

1Add natural colors and elements

to your office to make it a stress-free zone.

blue and green paint not only make your office look natural, it’s also proven to help reduce stress levels, enabling

your employees to feel calmand focused.

When you bring plants into office spaces, you improve indoor air quality

and relax your employees as well.

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Offer In-Office Fitness

2Exercising is a tried and true way to beat stress, but many of us sit for much of the

day. workplace gyms are a place to burn off stress, while gardens and other hands-on workplace projects get

employees active.

Here are a few ideas:

Have a walking or running contest to see who can accumulate the most miles.

Try hosting a yoga class at the office. Many yoga studios would be happy to bring their

class to you if you have the space.

Or, conduct an office poll to see what type of in-office activity everyone would like to stay

healthy as a team.

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Schedule a Pot-Luck

3Have your facilities management team bring in items from home one day for a casual potluck lunch. Be sure people sign up for different courses to avoid a

meal full of dessert.For those who are afraid of the kitchen,

have them bring drinks, plates or serving utensils.

Encouraging employees totake a break from the work day and

sit down to converse and eat will help keep stress levels at bay.

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Offer Half-Days Twice Per Month

4This won’t work for every office, however if you’re not a brick-and-mortar store that can afford to close up shop early one friday

each month, try it out! Your employees will appreciate the extra time with their families

and a chance to beat traffic (both stress relievers). To take it a step further, you

could have employees work from home every other friday as well.

Many employers may be wary of this suggestion, however there is evidence to prove employees are more productive

during their time working when they are granted special

time off.

one ceo recognizes his "employees' need to recharge". He mentions their half- days make

"friday mornings feel unique -- with a finalproductive sprint before the extra-long weekend."

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Get Flexible

5Speaking of working from home...

employees often need flexibility in their schedules, and a workplace

environment that's accommodating leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and retention.

Provide flex days so that your employees can stay home with a sick child or attend a medical appointment,

and you'll find that your employees feel less stressed and recommitted to

your flexible workplace.

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Encourage Open Communication

6No one likes to work in a hostile environment, talk about stress

waiting to happen!When you're in management, make sure that your employees know that they can come to you with concerns,

and encourage them to talk them out with other employees as well.

be a listener, and help employees solve their problems when they seek

your assistance.

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Add Social Spaces

7Let’s get together: when you’re

designing your facilities, design social spaces for your employees. These

might be lunch or break rooms, game rooms, gyms or even

community gardens.

When you provide places where employees can relax and socialize in a less-structured atmosphere, you may

find that new connections emerge between departments and between

different levels of management.

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Decorate During the Holidays

8It needs to be done, so why not

get everyone involved? Have a simple lunch catered in, and allow everyone

to help with setting up the tree, hanging lights or setting up a few fun

displays. This also can be done before Halloween or Valentine’s Day.

It will be a nice change of pace, and will allow your office to work together

in a new way.

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Help Your Employees Move

9The design of the office environment can make life much less stressful for

your employees. Ensure that your workplaces are designed for theeasy movement of people, and

provide meeting places as well as quieter spaces.

When you work to help your employees move through their

workplace and attend to their work, you reduce their levels of stress.

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Leave Time for Fun

10Whether it’s a Halloween dress up party, casual Fridays, or a friendly

contest that pits department against department, create traditions at your

workplace that incorporateteam building with fun.

Teams that connect socially are more likely to connect when they’re working

together to manage your facilities.

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REMEMBER, YOuR jOB IS FOR the betterment of everyone, make cHanges you would like to see cHanged.

As the workplace manager, part of the stress and engagement

levels of your workforce depend on the choices you make.

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