According to The American Institute of Stress, 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful.  On the contrary, 75% of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.

For employers, it is not always possible to control and reduce stressful workloads or roles of employees; however, creating an office environment that improves the well-being of staff can powerfully impact your workplace environment.

With National Stress Awareness Month taking place in April, here are some easy tips for creating a stress-free workplace:

1. Lighting
A fundamental workplace failure is the appropriate provision of natural light. Of the quarter of a million employees in 69 countries surveyed by Leesman’s workplace benchmarking tool, 75.8 percent state that natural light is essential to them, yet only 56.9 percent are satisfied with the offering in their workplace. Natural light is vital for employee engagement and productivity.

2. Color
The psychology of colors shows how different colors can impact the way we feel about spending time in a particular environment. Bold and bright colors like red, orange and yellow help boost creativity but can also contribute to feeling stress on the job.  Many times these are colors to avoid. Neutral creams, greys and pastel tones tend to have a calmer effect on employees.

3.  Green Plants
Plants in the workplace have significant benefits. They help improve office air quality, productivity and mental and physical health (i.e depression, anxiety, and fatigue).

4. Quiet & Collaborative Spaces
These areas tend to help employees relax. We all need to take a break during a busy workday. Having a designated and relaxing break area or co-working spaces for employees allows them to distress, collaborate and reduces stress levels.