In fact, one of the most tried and true methods scientists like me use to increase people’s stress in the lab is to have them disclose something personal to someone they aren’t close with or who evaluates their work. Having “uncomfortable but necessary” conversations with employees is a dangerous endeavor that can backfire. Providing employees with healthcare resources is a good thing becoming that resource yourself isn’t. The problem with this approach is that it implicitly expects people (often middle managers) to become healthcare professionals. Too many bosses feel it’s their job to treat the “whole person” at work-to talk to employees about their personal life stressors, like financial hardships or relationship problems. Rule 3: Don’t train bosses to be therapists What small changes will make your body more comfortable, and will reduce the stress you experience before you even walk into the office? Remind your boss that small changes that cost little to effort and money, like ensuring consistent indoor temperature (the thermostat should not swing from 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 depending on the weather), can improve their financial bottom line down the road. To that end, be proactive and start the conversation at work. Most of us underestimate the effects that small, environmental factors have on our physical well-being at work, and in turn, on our cognitive resources and our mood. Office temperature alone is a huge predictor of workplace productivity (one study found that it accounted for nearly 39% of the variance in workplace performance just under 70 degrees Fahrenheit is best). Stress is often a bottom-up process-the more physically uncomfortable we feel, the more mentally worn down we become over time. I mean reducing noise pollution in the office, guaranteeing parking spots and creating functional distance between offices so people can connect easily. No, I don’t mean putting an espresso machine on every floor or a beer tap in the break room. That’s a lot of stress-reduction bang for very little buck. In the above example, one simple sentence (“I would like to meet because you want another Friday off, but we really need you this month”) could reduce uncertainty-based stress for the next week. When you communicate, whatever the subject, hit people over the head with blinding clarity.
Power differences exacerbate uncertainty-based stress, and so the higher up you climb, the more likely it is that the recipient of your vague “let’s meet” email will lose five hours of sleep perseverating on whether they are going to get fired. We get good at explaining the “what” (a meeting on Thursday) but not the “why” (to talk about your request for more days off). The busier we get, the more likely it is that we shed important stress-reducing details in our communications with people, especially over email. It’s not entirely your boss’s fault that she left you hanging. What’s the one thing that causes you the most stress at work? Join the conversation below.