Better well-being at work thanks to tips from stress and burnout coach Veerle Franqui as well as ISO 45003

The figures from Belgium's National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI) speak for themselves. In five years, the number of workers staying at home for more than a year with burnout or depression has increased by 43%. The number of people in the 'red zone' is also on the rise. For example, research by life insurance company NN shows that as many as 1 in 5 employees are at an increased risk of burnout. So it's a good idea to try to lower your stress levels and those of your employees. Veerle Franqui, stress and burnout coach with a Master in Physical Education, shares some tips. Plus, get an introduction to management standard ISO 45003, which is all about psychosocial health and safety at work.

De-stressing after work: what's the best way?

'Flip the switch', is one of Veerle Franqui's recommendations for de-stressing after a tough day at work. The first step is to ask yourself: is there a solution to my problem? If yes, you address the issue. If not, you have to accept the situation. Letting off steam with colleagues, friends or your partner can help put things in perspective. Another way to flip the switch after a long and stressful workday is to stimulate your senses, says the stress and burnout coach. Move, dance, sing, laugh, do some gardening, play music, and notice what you see, hear, taste, smell and feel. "That stimulation of your senses activates your prefrontal cortex, the front part of your brain that helps you let go. Use this knowledge to your advantage."

Relieving work stress through meditation

Another effective method for dealing with work stress is meditation. Not so long ago, meditation was seen as something hippyish or New Age, but nowadays it has a solid scientific basis. However, many people still think the goal of meditation is relaxation. That's not true, or rather, not entirely true. Meditation is attention training, where you learn to observe your thoughts, feelings and physical sensations without judgment. This focus makes you better able to pick up early signals of stress, rather than keep going. Relaxation can then be a nice side effect, but it's not the immediate goal. Meditation can be done in yoga sessions, meditation groups or individually with an app. As a meditation app, Veerle Franqui recommends 'Insight Timer'.

Reducing stress through exercise

We all know that sport and exercise are good for us. But did you know that getting physically active is also one of the best ways to relieve stress? Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins and serotonin, the happiness chemicals in our brains. This improves your overall mood, reduces stress, anxiety and sadness, and makes you more mentally resilient.

In addition to exercising regularly, you can help lower your stress levels through small moments of movement throughout the day. Veerle Franqui recommends never sitting for more than 30 minutes. When you do, your body goes into a sort of sleep mode. You then get a kind of 'sitting damage', so to speak. In other words, an increased risk of all kinds of physical ailments, which you can't compensate for by exercising in the evening. The stress and burnout coach recommends these small daily moments of exercise:

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If you feel embarrassed about suggesting certain things at work, it helps to get a colleague involved before you suggest it to the group, Veerle Franqui adds as a tip. "Your colleague will then respond enthusiastically, after which there's a good chance that the 'herd' will follow."

Increased psychosocial health and safety with ISO 45003‍

In addition to helping reduce your individual stress levels and those of your employees, you can also choose to implement a structural approach at work. The management standard ISO 45003 deals with psychosocial health and safety, and therefore stress. In short, this standard provides guidelines for managing and promoting psychological well-being at work, which is seen as increasingly important. A win-win on many levels:

• Good psychological health leads to better physical health, with less risk of issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and sleep disorders. Plus, it means fewer absences for physical and/or psychological reasons.
• Managing psychosocial risks results in higher job satisfaction and engagement, and therefore increased productivity. This can also foster a more innovation-friendly environment.
• Fewer absences means lower costs for companies and for society. It also helps guarantee the quality of products and services.

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What specifically do the measures in the ISO 45003 standard mean? Among other things, the management standard makes recommendations on the role of management, employee participation, prevention of staff attrition and strategy when it does happen. The standard also makes recommendations on defining employee responsibilities, expectations and pace of work. Finally, the standard provides a concrete framework for what to do in cases of conflict, harassment and bullying.

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ISO 45000, a family of standards for occupational health and safety

The management standard ISO 45003, on psychosocial well-being, is part of the ISO 45000 family of standards. This family of standards also includes standards on a complete management system for occupational health and safety (ISO 45001), how to concretely implement ISO 45001 (ISO 45002), performance evaluation (ISO 45004), and preventing, controlling and managing infectious diseases (ISO 45006).

"Never sit for more than 30 minutes. Sitting for longer can result in 'sitting damage': an increased risk of all kinds of physical ailments. And you can't compensate for that by exercising in the evening."

Veerle Franqui, stress and burnout coach