Health Tip of the Month
Creating Your Own Stress-Free Zone
Stress can take its toll in many ways – physically, emotionally, and even in our ability to enjoy work and do our
jobs well. High stress levels in a work environment can lead to a decrease in productivity, less enjoyment in one’s
work, and higher rates of employees calling in sick. More and more departments are creating a quiet space for their
workers to de-stress and relax – even if only for a few minutes. Check out our tips for creating a relaxation area in
your department.
Support from management:
It’s important for the managers in your department to approve of and support your efforts. Approach them with a
detailed plan for creating a relaxation area in your workplace. They will be more likely to provide you with funding
if you can demonstrate a need for the space.
The following points may be useful:
- Over half of American adults report experiencing high stress on a daily basis
- Left untreated, high levels of unhealthy stress can seriously affect work performance, relationships, health
and general well-being
- It is estimated that job stress costs employers in excess of $200 billion annually in absenteeism, sub-par
performance, tardiness, and worker's compensation claims
- Providing a space for employees to relax during the day is a great way to promote wellness in the workplace
and to reduce the costs associated with excess job stress
Source: Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine
Space:
Your relaxation area will ideally be a quiet place that offers some privacy, dim lighting and limited noise. If you
cannot find a quiet or private space, earplugs, noise-canceling headphones, eye masks, or a privacy screen are good
options.
When you have a space in mind, try to come up with a detailed description of your vision for the relaxation area
before you ask permission from your supervisor to set it up. Anticipate possible objections they may have and
brainstorm creative ways to work around the issue.
You may also want to set up some guidelines on usage of the relaxation area. For instance, will there be a time
limit on how long someone can use it? Will you have a sign-up sheet, or will it be available on a “first come, first
served” basis? Will you need to lock up the space when it’s not in use? These are all factors to consider when
choosing your space.
Design and Budget:
Your relaxation area can be as elaborate or basic as you want, depending on your available funds. If you were not
able to get funding from your department, see if your co-workers would donate money to get your relaxation area
started. Ask them for input on what kinds of features they would like to have and get them involved in the set-up.
Depending on the features you include, you can expect to spend anywhere from $0-$2,500 on your relaxation area. Even
if you have little or no funding, simply finding a quiet space for relaxation can make a big difference!
| Sample “Relaxation Station”: |
| Massage chair (Costco) |
$270 |
| Relaxation Sound Machine (HoMedics) |
$25 |
| Artificial plant (www.amazon.com) |
$35 |
| Beach poster (www.art.com) |
$28 |
| Total: |
$358 |
|
