Managing a business is difficult enough under normal conditions. Throw in the COVID pandemic and the economic uncertainty surrounding it, and the job can become utterly overwhelming. It's easy to see how many managers struggle to maintain positive mental health while ensuring the organization they are leading remains profitable. Here are six tips to help managers reduce stress in these unprecedented times and beyond. 

1. Know your limits
Feeling a little stressed is normal - it can even be beneficial. But too much stress can wear you down physically, emotionally, and mentally. Recognizing the signs that you are becoming overstressed is the first step to controlling it before the pressure becomes overpowering. According to the Mayo Clinic, some signs of stress include: 

• Muscle tension or pain
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation
• Sleep problems

These symptoms can lead to changes in your behavior, such as overeating or undereating; drug, alcohol, or tobacco use; angry outbursts, and social withdrawal. 

2. Create Balance
Establishing work-life balance is crucial for your mental health. It might be hard to believe, but it is possible to have personal time for yourself, friends, and family without risking poor job performance. Recognize when you have too much on your plate and don't take on more than you have the bandwidth for. Eliminate or delegate activities and tasks you can't handle at work and at home.  

3. Make Schedules Accessible
If you've armed yourself with the right tools to schedule the people who help you keep things running, you not only get happy employees, but you also get peace of mind. Employee scheduling software helps ensure every member of your team knows where and when they are needed. The software allows your team to  access schedules remotely and gives you the ability to manage schedules from any location at any time, so you're never tied to the office for scheduling purposes. Additionally, staff scheduling software with messaging capabilities streamlines communication, so even when your employees are out and about, you can still relay important information.

4. Improve Communication
Unplanned events, unforeseen setbacks, and personal life issues can come up at any time and can throw a wrench into your and your team's lives. When unexpected events occur (and they will), you need a fast and easy way to communicate. Staff scheduling software that allows employees to  submit cover, swap, time-off and other schedule requests anytime, from any location helps them find available and qualified colleagues to fill in or cover for them. That way, you aren't the one scrambling to call in reinforcements or fill open shifts. Imagine the amount of stress that can prevent! An employee scheduling app makes it even easier for your team to communicate with you and one another. 

5. Plan Ahead
A career in management often forces you to miss important personal events and family milestones when you you're stuck putting out fires or covering when someone drops the ball. Building your employees schedules out in advance and providing 24/7 schedule access helps your team plan ahead and prioritize and their own obligations, so you aren't stuck covering when someone doesn't show up or forgets they were scheduled. Look for employee scheduling software that allows you to create work schedules for any time frame and  copy schedule patterns and rotations as far into the future as you'd like, so you can plan ahead, and so can your employees. 

6. Just Relax
Even though your leadership role doesn't always allow you to have the time away from your duties to do the things that help you relax away from the office; you deserve a break from time to time. Hire a massage therapist or manicurist to come to the office for a special occasion such as a holiday, or to celebrate a company milestone. Not only will you benefit from a little pampering, but your employees will too - and they will see that you appreciate the work they do for you and the organization. To show appreciation for those who work remotely or are unable to take part in the pampering, assemble care kits, which can include items such as stress balls, chocolates, scented oils, or massage rollers. Make an extra one for yourself - you've earned it. 

As a manager, you have a lot on your plate, and it can be easy to let the job negatively affect your mental wellbeing. Creating work-life balance and arming yourself with some tools to help manage day-to-day operations can reduce stress levels and give you peace of mind. Are you interested in learning more about how ScheduleAnywhere staff scheduling software can reduce stress and improve communication in the workplace?  Try it free today!

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