Workplace stress is often discussed as if the solution is simply to reduce the amount of work. In reality, that is not always possible. Some periods are naturally demanding. Deadlines may be fixed, projects may need to be completed on schedule, and certain roles may involve responsibilities that cannot easily be handed to someone else. The more useful question, then, is: what can employees and organisations do when the workload itself cannot be reduced? Stress management does not necessarily mean removing every source of pressure. It can also involve changing how work is organised, creating opportunities to recover during the day, improving communication, and giving employees practical ways to manage pressure. This matters because workload, time pressure, and limited control over work can all contribute to psychosocial risks at work. The World Health Organization recommends addressing these risks at an organisational level while also supporting workers with practical stress-management skills.

Understand What Is Actually Causing the Stress

Before looking for solutions, it helps to identify where the pressure is coming from. Two employees may have the same workload but experience it very differently. One may struggle because of constant interruptions, while another may find unclear instructions or frequent last-minute changes more stressful.

Common sources of workplace pressure include:

Tight deadlines
Constant emails and messages
Too many meetings
Unclear priorities
Frequent interruptions
Lack of control over how work is completed
Long periods without meaningful breaks
Difficulty switching off after work

Understanding the source can make stress management more practical. If the main problem is constant interruption, for example, another generic relaxation activity may not solve the underlying issue.

Prioritise Instead of Trying to Do Everything at Once

When the workload cannot be reduced, priorities become even more important.

Employees can start by separating tasks into categories such as:

Must be completed today: Tasks with immediate consequences or fixed deadlines.

Important but flexible: Work that needs attention but can be scheduled.

Can wait: Tasks that do not need immediate action.

This simple distinction can reduce the feeling that everything is equally urgent. Managers can also help by making priorities clearer. When employees understand which tasks matter most, they do not have to spend as much mental energy trying to decide what deserves attention first.

Build Short Recovery Periods Into the Day

Taking a short break is not the same as avoiding work. When people move from one demanding task directly into another for hours, mental fatigue can build up. A brief pause can provide an opportunity to step away from the immediate task, move around, drink some water, or simply give the mind a few quiet minutes. The goal is not to create long periods away from work. It is to avoid treating continuous work without recovery as the only sign of productivity. Physical activity can also be part of workplace wellbeing. WHO guidelines indicate that opportunities for leisure-based physical activity, such as walking or other forms of exercise, may support mental health and work ability.

Reduce Unnecessary Mental Switching

One overlooked source of workplace stress is constantly moving between different types of tasks. For example, an employee may spend ten minutes working on a report, stop to answer messages, join a meeting, return to the report, respond to another request, and then begin preparing for another task. The amount of work has not necessarily increased, but the mental effort involved in switching has. Where possible, employees can group similar tasks together, set specific periods for checking messages, and protect focused working time. Managers can help by avoiding unnecessary interruptions and making communication expectations clear.

Make Communication More Predictable

When employees do not know what is expected of them, ordinary workloads can feel much heavier.

Clear communication can help answer basic questions:

What needs to be done first?
When is it actually due?
Who is responsible?
Which tasks can wait?
What should happen if priorities change?

This is particularly important during busy periods. Stress management in the workplace should not be viewed entirely as an individual's responsibility. WHO recommends organisational approaches that address working conditions and psychosocial risks, alongside individual interventions that can help workers develop stress-management skills.

Give Employees Practical Ways to Pause

Not everyone relaxes in the same way. Some employees may benefit from walking outside for a few minutes. Others may prefer quiet time, breathing exercises, creative activities or a short mindfulness practice. This is where workplace wellbeing activities can have a role. The purpose should not be to pretend that a short activity eliminates workplace pressure. Instead, it can give employees an opportunity to pause and practise skills that may help them respond to pressure more calmly. WHO notes that universally delivered psychosocial interventions, including approaches based on mindfulness, may help workers build stress-management skills and support positive mental health, although the strength of evidence varies.

Could Corporate Mindfulness Workshops Help?

Corporate mindfulness workshops can be one option for organisations that want to introduce employees to practical mindfulness and stress-management techniques. A well-designed workshop should be approachable rather than making employees feel that they need to become experts in meditation. Simple exercises focused on attention, breathing, sensory awareness, or being more present can be introduced in a guided setting. The value is not necessarily in the workshop itself. What employees take away from it can be more important. For example, someone might learn to recognise when they are becoming mentally overwhelmed and use a short pause before moving on to the next task. However, corporate mindfulness workshops should complement—not replace—efforts to address unreasonable workloads, poor communication, or other workplace problems. Stress cannot always be solved by asking employees to become better at coping with a difficult environment.

Encourage Employees to Set Boundaries

When work is demanding, it can be tempting to remain available constantly. Employees may continue checking messages after working hours, respond to non-urgent requests late at night, or feel guilty about taking breaks. Reasonable boundaries can help create a clearer separation between work and personal time. This could mean setting expectations around after-hours communication or deciding which types of messages genuinely require an immediate response. For organisations, respecting these boundaries can be an important part of supporting mental health and wellbeing rather than simply offering occasional wellness activities.

Managers Have an Important Role

Managers do not need to become mental health professionals, but they can influence how employees experience demanding periods.

Simple actions can make a difference:

Clarifying priorities
Checking whether deadlines are realistic
Listening when employees raise concerns
Avoiding unnecessary last-minute changes
Recognising sustained periods of pressure
Encouraging reasonable breaks
Making support options known

WHO specifically recommends training managers to recognise and respond to emotional distress, communicate effectively, and understand how workplace stressors can affect mental health.

Stress Management Is Not About Eliminating Every Busy Period

Some jobs will always have demanding periods. The aim should not be to create a workplace where nobody ever feels pressure. Instead, the goal is to make periods of high demand more manageable and sustainable. That means looking beyond workload alone. Better prioritisation, clearer communication, short recovery periods, healthier boundaries, supportive management, and practical wellbeing activities can all play a role. Most importantly, stress management in the workplace should combine individual strategies with changes to the working environment. Employees can learn ways to manage pressure, but organisations also need to consider whether the way work is designed is creating unnecessary stress in the first place. When workload cannot be reduced, thoughtful changes in how people work and recover can still make a meaningful difference. Good mental health and wellbeing are not about avoiding every demanding day—it is about creating healthier ways to work through those demanding periods.