Stress Awareness Month takes place annually in April. Are you up for a 30-day challenge to raise awareness of stress in your workplace?
Psychologists generally agree that it takes about 30 days to turn actions into habits, which is partly why Stress Awareness runs for the whole of the month. By focusing on the topic for the entire month, potentially it means that stress and mental health awareness is, by the end of the month, embedded into the organisation’s culture.
Of course, simply by focusing on the issue for a month, absolutely does not make the issue go away! Stress in the workplace will remain long after April, but at least employers can make a concentrated effort to improve things during this time, in the hope that the message lasts longer.
Employers have a legal duty to protect workers from stress at work by putting in place risk assessments and programmes to improve the working environment.
Stress at work can place huge demands on employees’ physical and emotional health and it can definitely affect their behaviour and performance. This is a good reason for employers to make the effort to raise awareness and to put improvements in place.
Employers need to make sure that line managers have adequate training in how to recongnise and manage stress at work. Line managers are the key to success and therefore need to be aware of their responsibilities in relation to protecting their people.
Employers need to ensure that all employees have sufficient awareness of the effects of stress on physical and mental health, and the things that they can do to help alleviate adverse effects.
Are you doing enough as a business owner? Is your workplace as safe as it can be in relation to stress at work? If so, you could use Stress Awareness Month to enhance the work that you have already done. If no, then perhaps it is time for you to make a start, by using Stress Awareness Month as the first step in your journey towards alleviating stress in your workplace.
Our Wellbeing Assessment is a simple questionnaire designed to let business owners and managers see if they are doing enough to protect workers emotional health.
If you would like to gauge if your business is ‘doing enough’ please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. It is completely free and no obligation. We will send you a Stress Awareness Month Factsheet with some ideas for you to try during April.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope you enjoy Stress Awareness Month 2025.