3 Ways to Reduce Work Stress Immediately

Warning: This isn’t the read you think it is.

I was speaking with a client at Capstone Consulting recently, and we discussed the word “agency.” Agency is what Capstone gives its clients. It is also something I teach my own clients as much as possible. Yet, in life, we often operate in environments where our agency is greatly reduced or absent.

Capstone Consultants co-director Helen Robertson said, “Working in complex, large organisations like our clients’ (Higher Education institutions), one challenge we help with is the lack of ‘agency.’ Individuals or teams often feel they cannot make a positive difference. To create change, they frequently need to lobby co-workers in other teams or secure funding to grow their business. Part of our role is to bring an injection of objective positivity, showing that action can produce results. At the same time, we act with diplomacy and advocacy to highlight the need for change. This challenge sits at the heart of these management roles: keeping faith that a positive difference is possible while convincing others to act. No wonder it sometimes feels like wading through treacle.”

Treacle wading aside, giving people more agency at work is a sure-fire way to reduce stress. Making workloads more manageable and paying people fairly also helps. Let’s break this down.

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A Sense of Agency

I like the Wikipedia definition: “Agency is the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment.” Psychologically, it relates to a sense of control, both personal and professional. It allows you to influence your own thoughts and behaviour. You can make decisions for yourself and handle a wide range of tasks and challenges.

With agency comes resilience, helping you stay calm and flexible during adversity. Without it, stress and overwhelm easily take over. Psychologists Paul Napper and Anthony Rao co-authored a book on the subject. My first book gives a six-week plan to improve resilience and other skills.

The term is synonymous with autonomy — the ability to choose for oneself. You can also call it self-efficacy. Studies show that agency boosts both job satisfaction and productivity.

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Unmanageable Workloads

Stress is manageable when temporary. Our bodies and minds recover after a challenge ends. Repeated or chronic stress diminishes that ability. We can—and do—break under continuous pressure.

Pressure combined with a sense of control produces “good stress.” Losing control produces “bad stress.” In the UK, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) described work stress as a crisis earlier this year. Their report showed 60% of respondents blamed excessive workloads. Decades ago, the top cause of staff absence was repetitive strain injury (RSI) and back pain. Stress now dominates, and it needs to be addressed.

Occasionally, overloading staff can motivate them. However, if excessive workloads become routine, stress escalates. In 2024, 22 million working days were lost due to stress.

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More Money in Your Pocket

Financial worries remain a significant stressor in both the UK and the USA. Many workers feel stressed due to low pay. Research from payroll software provider Ciphr in 2024 found over a third of UK workers experience financial stress. The cost-of-living crisis leaves many living paycheck to paycheck, overworked and underpaid.

Increasing salaries can significantly reduce stress. One American CEO famously implemented a $70,000 minimum wage for all staff. Critics called him a socialist, but the company thrived. He resigned in 2022 for legal reasons, yet the financial lesson remains.

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I regularly provide workshops and webinars on workplace mental health and wellbeing. I’ve seen excellent wellbeing policies and poor examples of wellness washing. Give staff agency, manageable workloads, and fair pay, and my talks may become unnecessary. Ignore these areas, and staff will eventually come to me, signed off work sick with stress.

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