Why team-building activities can help de-stress workers
Team-building activities have been a long tried and trusted method for businesses to build bonds in a company, helping employees get to know each other and boosting their ability to work well together with the aim that they will bring these skills back to the workplace.
However, the benefits of team-building activities can go beyond that. Workplaces can be stressful, pressurised environments and team-building activities can provide an antidote for that, helping reduce the stress on your employees and reducing the negative impact stress can have on productivity.
One symptom of stress can be alcohol and substance abuse. If you are concerned about this in your workplace, it can be worth testing your employees. Companies like Matrix Diagnostics offer drug testing products. Their range includes onsite drug and alcohol screening kits, as well as laboratory-based services with a fast turnaround.
Ideally, you’ll foster a work environment that enables employees to better manage their stress without turning to poor coping mechanisms. Here are some reasons why an in-house or online team-building activity like virtual trivia is an excellent way for workers to de-stress and have fun.
A change is as good as a break
Team-building exercises often require doing something a bit different, away from the routines of work life. As well as pressure in the workplace, employees may also face other challenges with stress caused by relationships, family and money.
A team-building activity offers a chance to get away from all that, giving the mind a rest from the worries as they enjoy the challenges of something new. That break can allow employees to return to their everyday life recharged and more able to deal with the pressures of work and life beyond.
The mental boost of success
When times are tough, it is easy to feel like a failure in everything, ending up in a downward spiral of ever-decreasing morale. However, in team-building activities, everyone is a winner, and meeting the challenges of the activity can bring a huge boost to self-esteem. In feeling better about themselves, employees are then far better placed to meet the other challenges of their lives.
Physical and mental wellbeing
There are a huge range of team-building activities, from problem-solving activities to physical challenges and many that involve both. These can help both the physical and mental health of your employees.
Suffering from stress can easily build up problems to impossible levels, but good mental health can help bring the challenges into perspective, while improved physical health allows them to deal with problems as they arise instead of building up while feeling unwell.
Building friendships
It can be hard to admit to struggling at work, with the blow to self-esteem of feeling like you are letting the team down. Yet often, a bit of support is all that is needed to allow an employee to meet the challenges expected of them. Team-building exercises are a great way to build trust and friendship between your employees, making it far easier for someone struggling with the pressures and stress of work to ask for the help they need to work effectively.
It’s fun!
And finally, they say laughter is the best medicine and that often can prove to be true. The mental boost of simply enjoying yourself may be the best antidote to stress and pressure. There are many team-building activities to try, so find out which ones can best benefit your team.
