Improving teamwork is the key to unlocking morale

04/24/09

With the state of the economy, mass layoffs and personal financial issues it’s no wonder that employees are overly stressed and workplace morale has reached an all-time low.

The key to unlocking that morale may be hidden in your organization’s team spirit, according to a new study published in the journal of Occupational and Environment Medicine.

The study suggests that a lack of team spirit in the office combined with a poor work climate can be causing employees to feel depressed.

"As depressive disorders are a major cause of work disability and account for a considerable proportion of the disease burden, more attention should be paid to psychosocial factors at work," lead author Dr. Marjo Sinokki of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Turku told Reuters Health.

Sinokki’s series of tests determined that people who work in “poor” work climates or workplaces that feel “prejudiced” and “quarrelsome” were 61% more likely to feel depressed. The same employees were also more prone to feelings of anxiety.

Though there’s still more work to be done, Sinokki adds that his findings serve as clear evidence that unpleasant workplaces can cause depression.

Compared to recent history, our country’s current work environment is more toxic than ever. As layoffs and downsizing continue across the U.S., employees will continue to feel added stress, negativity and pressure in the workplace.

The average American spends most of their day at work, making it the one place that can have the biggest impact on a person’s psychological well-being. While a certain level of stress can be helpful to one’s productivity, when it starts to interfere with your emotional and physical health it’s time to take action.

One way to manage workplace stress and build teamwork is to practice stress-relieving training exercises with your coworkers and yourself. Feeling happier and less stressed at work can all start with a simple exercise involving a quick lesson in reading and writing.

Start managing your work stress by following these steps:

Make a list. Identify everything that is creating stress in your life and write it all down in a list. Without knowing where your stress is coming from, it will be impossible to know how to treat it.

Review your list. Go through your list of stressors and determine at least one thing you can do to relieve each aspect of workplace stress. Identify specific, definable actions that would help relive each problem.

Take action. Review your list of action items and start tackling your workplace stressors. Approach each item one by one and find a way to check every stressor off of your list.

Write, read and review your list often in order to make a positive impact on your personal workplace stress levels. Try using this training exercise to build teamwork among your colleagues and manage stress in the workplace.