3 simple ways you can calm down a stressed-out colleague

Until the robots take over, you can rest assured that every workplace all over the world will consist of occasionally stressed-out employees. It is okay to be overwhelmed, as it happens to all of us, but what’s important is that we learn to handle the stress and move forward. Just as we need help getting through stressful times, so do our fellow colleagues. There are a variety of things you can do to aid someone who’s frazzled at work. Here are three simple ideas for helping out a tense teammate.

Listen, don’t talk
Sometimes when employees are stressed, they fear that if they air their grievances, it will come off as complaining. If you become aware that a colleague is anxious, offer to be a sounding board. Sometimes just having someone there to listen can mean all the difference in the world. Venting is important and can really help a person find balance and strength.

Offer aid
Depending on what they’re stressed about, you may not really be able to provide legitimate help. But, just offering to be there for them shows you care and are willing to do everything in your power to get them through it. Being supportive and providing comfort is already a tremendous help. So, even if you already know it may be out of your hands, it’s still powerful just to ask, “What can I do for you?”

Empathize
Since you’ve seen stressful times and know what it’s like to be frazzled, put yourself in your colleague’s shoes. Think about how you would like someone to react to you and the things you’d appreciate hearing from someone in the office. Truly empathizing with others allows you to better connect with colleagues and shows them that you can get through the stress together.