All people have been exposed to stress at some point in their working lives. When the demands on the workplace increase and feel overwhelming, the need for recovery also increases. But with good conditions such as enough rest and clear instructions, stress management becomes affordable. How should an organisation work to prevent the occurrence of knowledge stress-related problems for employees?

Whether you are new to the job or “old in the game”, there is a good chance that you have been exposed to knowledge-related stress in the workplace. It can be about not knowing whom to turn to and asking for advice in a stressful situation. Or vice versa, you always feel that you need to stand up because you have always done so. Stressed conditions in the workplace are in many cases unavoidable, and if you are constantly exposed to them, there is a risk of developing stress-related ailments or diseases.

Causes of knowledge-related stress

Knowledge-related stress often constitutes a large part of the stress employers can work strategically with to avoid in the workplace. It is simply about the stress that employees can experience when they lack knowledge or have too much knowledge. The lack of expertise often lies in the fact that the information is difficult to find or there is insufficient support to cope with the assigned tasks.

As we mentioned earlier, knowledge-related stress can also be because you as an employee feel that you are the only one to whom everyone constantly turns. Situations like these can take up an enormous amount of time for regular work tasks and, in turn, often lead to a stressful work situation where the person feels the need to always be on hand.

Proactive and sustainable working methods

As an employer, it is essential to review how you can work to create a pleasant working environment for employees. It would be best if you worked proactively to remedy the situations that may cause stress and injury. It can be about:

• To reduce the workload for those who have a lot to do.
• Create variety for those with one-sided work.
• Make sure there is enough support to handle the tasks on your own.

A pleasant work environment creates good conditions for sustainable results, not only for the employees but also for the organisation in the long term.

3 tips for a better work environment that counteracts stress

Make information easily accessible
Many times the systems we work in are inadequate and do not give us the support we need at the moment; much stress can therefore lie in not getting the information you need. Review the systems you work in; where is the information your employees need? Is it easy to get hold of? With InfoCaption, you can create search pages and self-help portals that make it easy for employees to find the right one.

Create an open work climate
Feedback calls can be an uncertainty for many as there is a great fear of making mistakes and failing. Through open dialogues where own initiatives and opinions are supported, a safer work climate is ensured. For example, as a rule, you give both negative and positive feedback at every feedback call. An open work climate where it is okay to fail is also a safe work environment.

Set clear (and reasonable) goals
By setting clear and, above all, reasonable goals, you can counteract the fear that lies in not having enough. Take the help of tools to structure working methods and routines to get the help they feel they need. Keep in mind that everyone works differently and needs help in different ways.

Do you want to learn more about knowledge-related stress?