Talking to Your Employees About Stress at Work

Name: Talking to Your Employees About Stress at Work
Rating: 4.4 (1988 reviews)

Support your team with empathy, clarity, and appropriate boundaries.

Created byDeborah Grayson Riegel

Last updated 5/2025

English

German [Auto],English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Recognize signs of stress and burnout
Initiate sensitive conversations with confidence
Ask questions that encourage honest dialogue
Listen without judgment
Offer support without overstepping
Avoid common mistakes when discussing stress

Course content

5 sections • 26 lectures • 1h 39m total length

Stress in Today's Ever-Changing Work Environment4:52
If talking about stress stresses you out, you're not alone. But that doesn't mean you can opt out.
This lecture will help you understand why these conversations are so important, introduce you to your instructor, and help you start to built the confidence and skills to address this critical topic with less stress for you — and for your colleagues.
It is also a reminder about what this course is not:
It is not a Mental Health First Aid course
It will not prepare you to be a counselor, therapist or other mental health professional
It will not teach you to diagnose any mental health conditions
It is not a substitute for connecting your colleague with a licensed mental health resource
It is not preparing you to be part of an EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
It is not a substitute for your organization’s existing practices around having these conversations
However, it does offer practical and tactical strategies for addressing mental health and encouraging mental wellness at work.
Worry, Stress, Burnout: Let's Define Our Terms5:30
This lecture will help you understand the terms we will be using throughout the course, including:
Mental health
A mental health challenge
A mental health disorder
Mental wellness
Worry
Stress
Anxiety
Once you understand these terms, you will feel more comfortable using them, too.
Why Do We Need to "Have the Talk" about Stress at Work?3:14
In this lecture, you'll learn about the personal, interpersonal, professional, and business impacts of creating an open, inclusive, and safe environment for our colleagues to bring their whole selves to work, and to be able to share honestly and openly what they're going through.
We will also address 5 reasons why talking about mental health at work is so important — and why it’s everyone's job.
Stress at Work: What Does it Look Like?3:52
Stress can look different for each of us. Nevertheless, there's a simple approach we can use with everyone to notice when someone "isn't quite themself."
In this lecture, you'll delve into the A.P.G.A.R. model to look for some common signs and signals that our colleagues could use some support.
Self-Check Activity: How Confident Do I Feel Right Now?1:55
When it comes to talking about stress at work, it’s common to feel uncomfortable and underprepared — and yet, some of us feel ready to go! Here’s an opportunity for you to check how confident you’re feeling right now, before we dig into the skills and strategies.
You’ll have the opportunity to evaluate yourself again at the end of this course.

What's My Role? How Managers and Colleagues Can Step in without Overstepping5:46
Chances are, you show up for your colleagues as a coach, advisor, decision maker, delegator, accountability partner, cheerleader, and more.
But it's not your role to be a therapist, social worker, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
In this lecture, you'll learn what helping as a colleague or manager looks like — and what you should avoid doing because it's not your job.
Understanding why your Colleagues Might be Afraid to Share2:57
Deciding whether or not to reveal a personal mental health issue at work is not an easy one.
This lecture will help you recognize what you're currently doing to make it easier for others to share with you — or what you may be doing that makes it harder for your colleagues to approach you.
Managing your Personal Beliefs about Mental Health4:30
In this lecture, you'll check your knowledge about common myths and facts about mental health.
Creating a Culture of Trust3:43
To be trustworthy enough for someone to share their mental health concerns with you, you need to demonstrate that you know how to have this conversation helpfully and compassionately. This lecture will help you do exactly that.
When Stress Meets Stereotypes: How to Be Mindful of Bias5:42
Chances are, you’re working with colleagues who are part of marginalized populations, which are groups that may experience discrimination because of unequal power relationships across economic, political, social and cultural dimensions. Here are just a few:
LGBTQIA+
Senior citizens
Racial/Cultural minorities
Military Combat Veterans
People with physical disabilities
People with mental illness, including substance abuse and other addiction disorders
People on the Autism Spectrum
People with facial differences
In this lecture, we will look at some biases we should all be aware of, especially when creating a climate of openness and trust for our colleagues who are experiencing stress.
Four Mindsets to Adopt to Help Your Colleagues Navigate Stress5:01
A mindset is a set of beliefs, perspectives, or attitudes we hold that drive the way we think about what’s going on and what we should do. And how we think and what we believe has a huge impact on the effectiveness of our conversations with our colleagues.
In this lecture, we will dig into four mindsets that support our willingness and ability to talk with our colleagues about stress at work.
Activity: Applying the Four Mindsets3:34
Before we can help our colleagues reflect on their own mindsets, we need to reflect on our own. So, in this activity, you’re going to practice the four mindsets we discussed earlier.

Using R.A.I.N. with Yourself and Others4:54
The R.A.I.N. approach is a way for you to bring a mindful approach to the stress you may feel when a colleague is having a hard time, and also a way to frame a conversation with that colleague.
Three Kinds of Empathy: How to Show that You Get It4:48
Every single one of us can cultivate empathy to help our colleagues feel supported during stressful times. This lecture will help you develop and deliver three kinds of empathy: cognitive; emotional; and behavioral.
Practice showing empathy
Listen without Distraction: How to Be Present When Someone is Sharing4:37
When it comes to listening, most of us do it all the time. But we don’t necessarily do it well, particularly when our colleague is sharing something hard. In this lecture, you'll learn to recognize and mitigate both internal and external distractions to listening well.
Practice listening without distraction
Ask Powerful Questions: Getting More Information without Pushing or Prying4:35
What should I ask? What shouldn't I ask? What if I ask the wrong thing?
This lecture will help you develop questioning skills that are thoughtful and supportive, without overstepping — or stepping away.
Practice asking powerful questions without pushing or prying
Offer a "Help Menu:" 20 Ways to Support Your Colleagues4:37
Most of us only have a few helping tools in our toolkit. Like what? Like giving advice or trying to solve the problem for the other person.
In this lecture, you'll expand your helping toolkit so that you have multiple options for supporting your colleague during stressful times.
Activity: What Kind of Help do you Need?2:07
Before you try your new helping strategies with your colleagues, try them on yourself! In this activity, you'll pick a specific challenge, dilemma, or problem you’re facing in your mind right now, and decide what kind of help YOU need.
Guidelines for How to Talk About What Matters Most2:55
A certain amount of stress is actually a good motivator. But too much stress is unhealthy. When your colleagues or employees are stressed, it can impact you personally and professionally.
In this lecture, you'll learn how to accommodate your colleague's needs while still meeting your own work objectives.
Tips for Helping Team Members Manage their Stress3:34
In this lecture, we will dig into three tips for helping your team members manage their stress without putting your own productivity at risk.

Strategy 1: Carve Up the Turkey Together3:59
A turkey is a metaphor for a problem, dilemma, or challenge that feels hot, heavy, and huge. In this lecture, you'll see examples of how employees carve up their turkey and learn some tips for how to carve up yours.
Activity: Carve Up a Turkey0:41
A turkey is a metaphor for a problem, dilemma, or challenge that feels hot, heavy, and huge. In this activity, you'll practice carving it into parts so that it becomes more manageable.
Practice helping your colleague "carve up a turkey"
Strategy 2: Use The Four Lens Approach3:05
We tend to have one way of looking at a problem. In this activity, you'll practice four new lenses to help us reframe stress.
Strategy 3: Focus on the Bright Spots3:18
Have you ever experienced a stressful situation — and made it through? Of course you have. But when we're feeling overwhelmed, it can be hard to remember that we've done this before. In this activity, you'll learn to help your colleague reflect on when they’ve experienced stressful situations in their past – and made it through – so that they can apply yesterday’s learnings to today’s challenge.

Pulling it All Together (and What To Do if You're Having a Tough Time)3:35
In this lecture, we will review the key concepts, strategies, and activities from this course. We will also address what you can do if you're feeling stressed yourself.
The more prepared we all are to support each other through difficult times, the easier work (and life) can be for all of us.
Wrap Up & Self Check Activity2:08
Do you remember at the beginning of the course when we asked you to check in with yourself on how confident you’re feeling on the skills and strategies to have these conversations? Well, it’s time to check in again!

Requirements

None

Description

Stress at work is real — and managers often find themselves unsure about how to talk about it.

You may notice that an employee seems overwhelmed, exhausted, distracted, frustrated, or unlike themselves. You want to be supportive, but you may worry about saying the wrong thing, becoming too personal, making promises you cannot keep, or stepping into a role that belongs to a mental-health professional.

This course helps managers have more thoughtful, appropriate, and useful conversations with employees about workplace stress.

You’ll learn how to recognize when a conversation may be helpful, how to open the discussion without making assumptions, and how to listen in a way that communicates concern while respecting professional boundaries.

You’ll also explore the important distinction between supporting an employee and trying to diagnose, counsel, or “fix” them. Managers can create clarity, adjust work where appropriate, connect employees with available resources, and build a healthier team environment — without becoming therapists.

You’ll learn how to:
• Recognize signs that an employee may be experiencing significant workplace stress
• Start a conversation with care and professionalism
• Ask open-ended questions without making assumptions
• Listen without immediately jumping to solutions
• Clarify workload, priorities, and expectations
• Explore practical workplace adjustments when appropriate
• Maintain healthy manager-employee boundaries
• Avoid minimizing or over-reassuring
• Connect employees with organizational resources when needed
• Follow up without becoming intrusive
• Create team practices that support healthier conversations about stress

These conversations can feel uncomfortable, especially when you care about your employees and want to help. Having a practical framework can make them easier.

This course is not clinical training and does not prepare managers to diagnose or treat mental-health conditions. It focuses on the role managers can appropriately play in recognizing workplace stress, communicating with empathy, and addressing the aspects of work they can influence.

By the end of the course, you’ll feel better prepared to approach conversations about stress with greater clarity, empathy, and confidence.

Who this course is for:

Managers
Team leaders
HR professionals
Anyone supporting employees under stress

Talking to Your Employees About Stress at Work

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Getting Started5 lectures • 19min

Set the Foundation7 lectures • 31min

Have the Conversation11 lectures • 32min

Try New Approaches5 lectures • 11min

Pulling it All Together2 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: