In high-demand professions, especially those in social work, psychology, counselling, law and related fields, managing workplace stress is crucial for maintaining both mental health and professional effectiveness. Employees often face immense pressure from client trauma exposure, time constraints, and demanding workloads, making it essential to foster a work environment that promotes well-being and resilience.
Five main factors that contribute to workplace stress include:
Trauma exposure. How much exposure do your team have to client stories of trauma or mental health?
Workload control. What control do team members’ have to make decisions about their work and workload?
Resources. What resources are at hand and what resources are needed for the team to be successful?
Job characteristics. What is the specific nature of the work and how does this impact on a team members?
Individual, team and organisational factors. What are the personal, interpersonal and systemic factors that increase a team member and a team’s resilience in the face of work challenges? And how equipped are managers to support their teams?
And yet, often the focus is on individual coping strategies rather than looking at a combination of individual, team and organisational factors that contribute to and address workplace stress.
How Well Are You and Your Team Doing?
Employees in high demand jobs need to have some control, adequate personal and physical resources, and person-centred leadership to be able to manage work demands and reduce the risk of mental ill health.
Taking time to assess the specific factors affecting workplace well-being in your team and organisation is essential for promoting a healthy team environment. By recognising areas for improvement under each of the five domains above, you can advocate for the resources and support necessary to foster resilience and mitigate stress in high-demand roles. The well-being of your team is not just the individual responsibility of a team member but a shared commitment that benefits everyone involved.
How well are you and your team doing? Take the time to find out.
Reach out to Melinda for a comprehensive team wellbeing assessment and to reflect on key workplace factors that positively impact mental health and job satisfaction in your workplace.
For more information on workplace and leadership consultation, look this up.
About Melinda Austen
Melinda Austen is a clinical supervisor, and workplace and leadership consultant with over three decades of clinical experience specialising in mental health, trauma and relationships. She now focuses on helping the helpers, working with mental health professionals and managers in the human services sector. Melinda is driven by a desire to help people foster healthy, productive teams and thrive in their work. Get in touch at melinda@melindaausten.com.au or www.melindaausten.com.au