Understanding the Causes of Anxiety and Stress When I Play at Online Casinos

As an avid online casino player, I have encountered moments of anxiety and stress during my gaming sessions. It is essential to identify the factors that contribute to these emotions and take proactive measures to address them.

• Financial Pressure: One of the primary causes of anxiety and stress when I play at online casinos is the financial pressure that comes with gambling. The fear of losing money or the desire to win big can create a sense of unease. To mitigate this, I set a budget before each gaming session and remind myself that gambling should be viewed as entertainment rather than a guaranteed source of income. By adopting this mindset, I can alleviate the financial pressure and approach the games with a more relaxed mindset.
• Fear of Missing Out: The fast-paced nature of online casinos, with their constant stream of games and promotions, can trigger a fear of missing out (FOMO). The fear that I might miss a lucrative opportunity or exciting game can lead to anxiety and stress. To overcome this, I remind myself to prioritize self-control and discipline. I focus on selecting games that genuinely interest me and participate in promotions that align with my gambling goals. By doing so, I can alleviate the pressure of FOMO and concentrate on enjoying the gaming experience.
• Lack of Control: Another factor that contributes to anxiety and stress in online casinos is the perceived lack of control. The reliance on random number generators (RNGs) and the absence of physical cards or dice can make players feel disconnected and uncertain. To address this, I educate myself about the fairness and security measures implemented by reputable online casinos. Understanding the mechanisms behind RNGs and knowing that these platforms undergo rigorous testing and regulation helps me trust the process and feel more in control of my gaming experience.
• Social Comparison: In the online casino realm, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing oneself to others, especially when it comes to winnings or perceived success. The constant exposure to big wins and stories of jackpot winners can trigger feelings of inadequacy or pressure to achieve similar outcomes. To combat this, I focus on maintaining a healthy perspective and understanding that each player’s journey is unique. I celebrate my own wins, no matter their size, and remind myself that the primary goal is to have fun and enjoy casino games.

How I Manage Anxiety and Stress While Playing at Casinos?

1. Self-Care: I prioritize self-care activities to manage stress and promote overall well-being. Engaging in regular exercise, practicing mindfulness or meditation, and pursuing hobbies that bring me joy help me relax and recharge.
2. Setting Realistic Goals: Instead of solely focusing on financial gains, I set realistic and achievable goals for my online gambling experience. I remind myself that the primary purpose is to enjoy the games and view any winnings as a bonus rather than an expectation.
3. Establishing Limits: I establish specific time and money limits for my online gambling activities. By setting boundaries, I maintain control over my gaming habits and prevent excessive gambling.
4. Seeking Social Support: I actively engage with friends, family, and online gambling communities to foster social support. Sharing responsible gambling practices, discussing experiences, and seeking advice from others help alleviate anxiety and provide a sense of belonging.
5. Staying Informed: I conduct thorough research to choose reputable Neteller casinos that prioritize player safety and responsible gambling practices. Factors such as licensing, regulation information, customer reviews, and secure payment options are essential considerations to ensure a safe and trustworthy gaming environment.
6. Taking Breaks: I regularly take breaks from online gambling to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy balance. These breaks allow me to engage in other activities that bring me joy and fulfillment.

What Help do Players get to Deal with Stress and Anxiety?

Nowadays, casinos go beyond providing an entertainment platform; they also prioritize the mental health of their players. By creating a safe and supportive environment, these casinos create a positive environment where players can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and relax. The convenience of playing from the comfort of your own home allows us to create a personalized and soothing play space. Whether it’s dimming the lights, turning on relaxing music, or surrounding ourselves with soothing scents, we can tailor the environment to improve the gaming experience and create a sense of calm.

One of the key benefits of playing at a Neteller casino is the ability to control your gambling habits. These gambling sites promote responsible gaming by offering features such as deposit limits, session reminders, and self-exclusion options. These tools allow us to set boundaries and manage gameplay in a way that promotes our mental well-being. By implementing responsible gambling practices, we can minimize stress and maintain a healthy balance between entertainment and other aspects of our lives.

Stress and anxiety can often come from feeling overwhelmed or pressured to win. However, online casinos encourage players to treat games as a form of recreation and entertainment rather than a means of financial gain. By adopting conscious thinking and setting realistic expectations, we can shift our focus from winning to enjoying the gameplay itself. This mindset shift allows us to appreciate the excitement and excitement of every moment, reducing the stress and anxiety associated with the outcome.

To further improve our casino experience and promote mental wellbeing, it is important to incorporate self-service practices into our gaming routine. Regular breaks, deep breathing exercises, and activities that bring us joy outside of the casino are all effective strategies for maintaining balance and managing stress. In addition, setting a budget and sticking to it helps prevent financial worries from taking the fun out of the game.

Conclusion

In today’s world, casinos offer more than just a platform for entertainment and potential winnings. They can serve as a valuable tool for promoting mental health and well-being. By creating a supportive environment, encouraging responsible gambling and cultivating mindfulness, Neteller casinos enable players to enjoy stress-free online gambling experience. By applying self-care methods and a balanced approach, we can get the most out of our time at Neteller casino while maintaining our mental health. Remember that the key to a complete gaming experience lies not only in the games themselves, but also in how we approach and interact with them.

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Studies have shown that bullying can lead to lower self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. It can also make it difficult to trust others and form healthy relationships. And in the workplace, those who have been bullied are more likely to experience job dissatisfaction and problems with their supervisors.

So if you’re being bullied at school, know that it’s not just something you have to deal with during your time there – it could be affecting your future as well. Seek help from a trusted adult if you’re being bullied, so you can put a stop to it and start on the path to healing.

What is bullying, and what are the effects of it on a person’s life

The Physical Effects of Bullying
While the psychological effects of bullying are well-documented, less attention is paid to the physical effects. And yet, research has shown that bullying can lead to both short- and long-term health problems. Short-term problems include things like headaches, stomachaches, and sleep problems. Long-term problems can be even more serious and include things like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But it’s not just mental health problems that can persist into adulthood; bullying can also lead to physical health problems later in life. One study found that adults who were bullied as children were more likely to suffer from obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Other research has shown that adults who were bullied are more likely to smoke cigarettes and abuse alcohol.

The Career Effects of Bullying
In addition to physical and mental health problems, bullying can also have lasting effects on your career. Adults who were bullied as children are more likely to earn less money than their peers. They’re also more likely to have difficulty finding and keeping a job. And if they do find a job, they’re more likely to report feeling unhappy with their work situation. All of this can lead to a vicious cycle; adults who were bullied as children may find it harder to succeed in their careers, which can further compound the psychological effects of bullying and make it even harder to break out of the cycle of poverty and unemployment.

How to tell if someone is being bullied

Unfortunately, bullying is a reality in many schools today. As a parent, it’s important to be able to identify the signs that your child may be being bullied. Here are four things to look for.

1. Unexplained injuries. If your child comes home with bruises or cuts that they can’t explain, it may be a sign that they’re being bullied.

2. Loss of interest in school or extracurricular activities. If your child suddenly stops wanting to go to school or participate in activities they used to enjoy, it could be because they’re being bullied and don’t feel safe at school.

3. Changes in eating habits. If your child starts skipping meals or losing weight for no apparent reason, it could be a sign that they’re being bullied and are too scared to eat lunch at school.

4. Changes in sleeping habits. If your child is having trouble sleeping or has nightmares, it could be because they’re anxious about going to school and being bullied during the day.

How to Respond to Bullying

1. Speak up.
If you’re being bullied, the first thing you need to do is speak up. Don’t suffer in silence. Tell a trusted friend or family member what’s going on and ask for their support. If the bullying is happening at work, tell your supervisor or human resources department. It’s important to have someone in your corner who can help you deal with the situation.

2. Keep a record.
Document everything that’s happening. Keep a journal of incidents or save emails and text messages that contain abusive language. This documentation will be helpful if you need to take formal action against the bully.

3. Stand up for yourself.
In some cases, you may be able to put an end to the bullying by speaking directly to the person who is doing it. Choose a time when you’re both calm and collected, then explain how their behavior is making you feel and ask them to stop. Be assertive but respectful in your delivery. Often, simply calling out the behavior can be enough to make it stop.

4. Seek professional help.
If the bullying is severe or if you’re struggling to cope with it on your own, seek professional help from a therapist or counselor who can provide guidance and support. In extreme cases, you may need to file a restraining order or contact law enforcement if the harassment crosses the line into criminal territories, such as threats of violence or stalking behavior.

Resources for victims of bullying and their families

StopBullying.gov
StopBullying.gov is a website maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It provides information on what bullying is, what the signs are, and what you can do if you suspect someone is being bullied. The site also has specific resources for parents, educators, and teens.

PACER Center
The PACER Center is a national nonprofit organization that provides resources on a variety of topics related to children’s well-being, including bullying prevention. PACER offers a variety of resources for parents, educators, and youth, including an online chat service where you can speak with a trained specialist about your concerns.

BullyingUK
BullyingUK is a website maintained by the U.K. charity Kidscape. It offers advice and support for children and young adults who are being bullied, as well as for their parents and caregivers. The site also has a section dedicated to helping professionals who work with children identify and address bullying in their schools or organizations.

If you are struggling to write an essay on bullying, PapersPoint can help. We are a paper writing service that specializes in academic writing. We have a team of experienced writers who can produce high-quality essays on any topic. Bullying is a complex issue, and our writers will make sure to cover all the key points in your essay. So if you need help with your bullying essay, PapersPoint is here for you.

Final thoughts

Bullying is a serious problem that can have long-term effects on both the victim and the bully. If you or someone you know is being bullied, it’s important to get help. There are many resources available to victims of bullying and their families. With the right support, victims of bullying can cope with the long-term effects and go on to lead happy, successful lives.

The post How Bullying at School Effects Future Life and Work appeared first on Stand-and-Up.

Take a break every hour.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of work and forget to take a break. But did you know that taking a break every hour can actually help you be more productive? That’s right, taking a break to get up and walk around can help you stay mentally comfortable at work and prevent burnout.

When you take a break, your body gets a chance to move, and your mind gets a chance to rest. This helps improve your circulation, which in turn helps improve your focus and concentration. And when you’re more focused and concentrated, you’re more productive. It’s a simple equation: taking breaks = being more productive.

The best way to take a break is to get up and walk around for a few minutes. Go outside for some fresh air if possible. If not, take a lap around the office or do some stretches at your desk. And while you’re up, grab a snack or drink to re-energize yourself. A little sugar can help give you the boost you need to power through the rest of the day.

Eat healthy foods that will give you energy throughout the day.

It’s no secret that what we eat can have a major impact on our physical health. But did you know that the food we consume can also affect our mental health? That’s right – what we put into our bodies can either help or hinder our ability to stay mentally comfortable at work. 

If you’re looking for ways to improve your focus, concentration, and overall productivity at work, then you might want to consider making some changes to your diet. Here are a few of the best foods to eat to stay mentally comfortable at work.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

You’ve probably heard that omega-3 fatty acids are good for your heart health, but did you know that they can also improve your mental health? Omega-3s have been shown to boost cognitive performance, increase focus and concentration, and reduce stress levels. If you’re not getting enough omega-3s in your diet, then consider taking a supplement or eating more fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines.

2. Blueberries

Blueberries are packed with nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. These nutrients have all been linked with better cognitive function. Blueberries have also been shown to improve memory and reduce stress levels. Add a handful of blueberries to your breakfast cereal or oatmeal, or enjoy them as a healthy snack throughout the day.

3. Dark Chocolate

Yes, chocolate can be good for you! Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are compounds that have been linked with improved cognitive function and reduced stress levels. When choosing dark chocolate, look for a bar with a cacao content of 70% or higher. Enjoy a small piece of dark chocolate as a mid-morning or afternoon snack to help boost your mood and concentration.

4. Green Tea

Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has been linked with numerous health benefits, including improved brain function. Green tea can help improve your memory and reaction time while also reducing stress levels. Enjoy a cup of green tea in the morning or afternoon to help keep your mind sharp all day long.

The Importance of Drinking Water at Work

Drinking plenty of water is key to maintaining a comfortable and healthy work environment. Let’s take a closer look at why staying hydrated is so important for keeping our minds sharp at work.

The human brain is made up of 73% water, so it’s no surprise that being even slightly dehydrated can have a negative impact on our cognitive function. When we’re dehydrated, we may experience symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. 

Not only can these symptoms make it difficult to get our work done, but they can also lead to an increased risk of accidents. That’s why it’s so important to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially if we’re working in a physically demanding or dangerous job.

Of course, drinking water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated. Eating foods with high water content, like fruits and vegetables, can also help keep us hydrated and mentally comfortable at work. And while coffee and other caffeinated beverages may seem like they’re doing the trick when we’re feeling tired, they actually have the opposite effect and can contribute to dehydration. So next time you’re feeling sluggish at work, reach for a glass of water instead of that cup of joe.

Make a list of things you need to do each day to help you stay organized.

To make a to-do list that works for you, first consider what your goals are. What do you want to accomplish? Once you have a goal in mind, start brainstorming the steps you need to take to reach that goal. Be as specific as possible. For example, if your goal is to write a book, some of the steps you might include on your to-do list are: 

• Research the book market

• Choose a book topic

• Outline the book

• Write the book

• Edit the book

• Publish the book

Of course, this is just an example. Your to-do list will be unique to you and your goals.

In addition to including specific steps on your to-do list, it can also be helpful to include deadlines. Having a timeline for each task will help keep you on track and accountable. It can also be helpful to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. For example, if one of your goals is to lose weight, instead of writing “lose weight” on your to-do list, try something like: 

• Join a gym by January 1st 
•  Work out 3 times per week 
• Cut out soda and fast food 
• Eat breakfast every day 
• etc. 

Again, these are just examples. The important thing is that your to-do list is tailored specifically for you and your needs.

Now that you know how to make a to-do list that works for you let’s talk about what should go on your list. Here are some ideas: 

• Work-related tasks 
• Personal projects 
• Chores
• Appointments 

Some people like to keep their work life and personal life separate, while others prefer to have everything in one place. There is no right or wrong answer here; it’s all about what works best for you. If you find that having everything in one place helps you stay organized and on top of things, then, by all means, go for it! 

On the other hand, if having everything in one place stresses you out, then maybe keeping separate lists for work and personal life is the way to go. Again, there is no right or wrong answer; it’s all about what works best for YOU.  

Practice deep breathing exercises or meditation to calm your mind

Enter deep breathing exercises and meditation. Both of these techniques have been shown to help reduce stress and promote calmness. And the best part is that they can be done anywhere, anytime—no expensive gym membership or yoga studio required.

We’ll give you a few tips on how to get started with deep breathing and meditation.

Deep Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief

Deep breathing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to calm your mind and body. When you take deep breaths, it signals to your body that you are safe and there is no need to fight or flight. This then allows your body to relax and let go of the stress it was holding onto.

Here’s how to do it: 

1. Find a comfortable seat. You can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, or you can cross-legged on the floor or on a yoga mat. 

2. Place one hand on your stomach just below your navel and the other hand on your chest. 

3. Slowly inhale through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand as you breathe in. You should feel your stomach rising as you inhale. 

4. Exhale slowly through your mouth, letting your stomach fall as you breathe out. 

5. Repeat this pattern for 10-20 breaths or for as long as you like/need. 

Meditation for Stress Relief

In addition to deep breathing exercises, meditation can also be helpful in reducing stress levels. Meditation helps us to focus on the present moment and let go of any worrying thoughts about the past or future. When we meditate, we train our brains to become more aware of our thoughts and emotions so that we can respond to them in a more mindful way – rather than letting them take over and control us all together. 

Here’s how to get started with meditation: 

1) Find a comfortable seat. As with deep breathing exercises, you can sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or cross-legged on the floor or on a yoga mat. 

2) Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath. Feel the rise and fall of your chest as you inhale and exhale. 

3) If your mind begins to wander, gently bring it back to focus on your breath. It’s normal for thoughts to come up during meditation — just don’t get too attached to them. 

4) Continue focusing on your breath for 5-10 minutes or for as long as feels comfortable. 

Final thoughts.

Work doesn’t have to be stressful! By following these simple tips, you can stay mentally comfortable at work and avoid burning out. Just remember to get enough sleep, eat healthy, take breaks, be organized, and set aside time for yourself every day or week. If you do all of those things, you’ll be on your way to a much more enjoyable work life!

The post 5 Tips for Staying Mentally Comfortable at Work appeared first on Stand-and-Up.

The Google study cited above described psychological safety as feeling safe to be vulnerable or take risks in front of teammates. 

At its core, psychological safety is when team members feel safe taking interpersonal risks. 

9 signs your organization has low psychological safety:

Here are some signs and symptoms that your employees don’t feel psychologically safe:

• Employees don’t ask many questions during meetings.
• Employees don’t feel comfortable owning up to mistakes or place blame on others when mistakes are made.
• The team avoids difficult conversations and hot-button topics.
• Executives and team leaders tend to dominate meeting discussions.
• Feedback is not frequently given or requested.
• Employees don’t often venture outside of their job descriptions to support other teammates.
• Employees don’t ask one another for help when they need it. 
• There are hardly any disagreements or differing points of view.
• Employees don’t know one another personally, just professionally.

How do you measure psychological safety?

When taking a talent optimization approach to boost employee engagement, it’s important to diagnose your people problems. This means collecting objective people data that can provide valuable insight into what’s working and not working when it comes to your employees. 

When you see warning signs of low psychological safety, dig deeper to discover what’s really going on. 

To do this, conduct a simple survey using a tool like SurveyMonkey. On your survey, ask employees to rate the following seven statements on a scale of 1-5 (1 being strongly disagree, 2 being disagree, 3 being neutral, 4 being agree, and 5 being strongly agree). 

1. People at this organization are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
2. I feel safe to take a risk in this organization.
3. It is difficult to ask other members of this organization for help.
4. No one at this organization would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
5. Working with members of this organization, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.
6. If I make a mistake at this organization, it is often held against me.
7. People at this organization sometimes reject others for being different.

A positive response to the first five statements, along with a negative response to the final two statements, indicates strong psychological safety. 

You might first conduct the survey with a focus on the organization as a whole, then follow up with an additional survey that’s team-specific. Just be sure to update the questions to reflect a team focus (e.g., I feel safe to take a risk on this team).

The organization-wide results will provide insight into cultural issues that may impact psychological safety. 

Compare team-specific results to the organizational benchmark to see if certain managers are better or worse at creating psychologically safe teams. 

Once you have an understanding of which aspects of your organization or team are contributing to low levels of psychological safety, you can create a plan of action to address them.

The post What is psychological safety? appeared first on Stand-and-Up.

And unfortunately, little evidence that diversity programs affect lasting change. Some companies continue with the same “one-and-done” approaches, like mandatory diversity training.

It’s vital that companies rethink traditional approaches. This includes investing in creating and fostering psychologically safe environments. 

In this article, we’ll cover what psychological safety is, why it’s important, and how leaders can promote it in the workplace.

What is psychological safety?

Safety, according to Maslow’s hierarchy, is a “basic human need.” 

To support high-performing teams, creating psychologically safe work environments is critical. This is beyond only basic human decency, but employee retention. 

So what does that mean?

The term psychological safety was coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson. She defines it as “a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” Establishing a climate of psychological safety allows space for people to speak up and share their ideas.

Edmondson and Harvard Business School professor Jeff Polzer says that when it comes to creating psychologically safe environments, establishing norms is critical to success and participation. 

For leaders, speaking out is actually less important than how we react and respond to other team members.  

Creating a psychologically safe environment can also act as a buffer. Psychological safety can work as a bumper against undermining behavior that’s driving so many women away from tech. 

7 reasons why psychological safety is important at work

An effective team values psychological safety as much as they do physical safety and performance standards. 

Psychological safety in the workplace is important because it:

1. Enhances employee engagement. When team members feel safe at work, it’s easier for them to engage. This could be in a team meeting, solving problems, collaborating on projects, and engaging with their customers and peers.
   
   Additionally, safe teams inspire employees to be fully present at work versus dozing off or counting the hours until the workday is over. 
2. Fosters an inclusive workplace culture. It’s more important than ever to make all team members feel included. Safe workspaces welcome diverse teams.
   
   They allow all team members to flourish regardless of gender, color, race, background, or political preferences. The result is a rich give-and-take experience where everyone feels connected and part of a united front.
3. Inspires creativity and ideas. In order for creativity and ideas to flow organically, team members must feel safe expressing themselves. Imagine how many inspired ideas were never shared because a team member didn’t feel safe sharing.
4. Improves employee well-being. Mental health highly contributes to overall well-being. When employees are mentally healthy, it’s easier for them to perform at an optimal level and avoid stressors that keep them from doing their best.
5. Creates brand ambassadors. Creating a psychologically safe workplace is one of the best ways to inspire team members to constantly brag about you. Team members can’t help but gush about how wonderful work is when they’re being treated right.
6. Reduces employee turnover.  A recent study reported that team members who feel psychologically safe at work are less likely to leave. In the end, why leave a company that treats you with respect and makes you feel safe and valued?
   
   There are horrendous costs that come with interviewing, hiring, and training team members (among other costs). High employee turnover isn’t sustainable for successful businesses. 
7. Boosts team performance. When you’ve got highly engaged employees that don’t want to leave, teams perform. When you have an inclusive workplace culture, brand ambassadors, inspired ideas, teams perform.
   
   When you have healthy employees in addition to all of the above, you’ve got a winning recipe for boosting team performance.

It’s time to put a “psychologically safe workplace” on the list of basic human rights and hold businesses accountable for implementing it. 

The 4 stages of psychological safety

The four stages of psychological safety developed by Dr. Timothy Clark are:

Stage 1: Inclusion safety 

This level of safety refers to satisfying the basic human need of connecting and belonging. In this first stage, you feel safe and accepted to be who you are — quirky characteristics and all. 

Stage 2: Learner safety 

In this stage, you feel safe to learn, ask questions, and experiment. You feel open to giving and receiving feedback (and you even feel safe to make mistakes). 

Stage 3: Contributor safety 

At this point, you finally feel safe to make a valuable contribution using your skills and gifts.

Stage 4: Challenger safety 

This final stage involves feeling safe enough to challenge the status quo when you see an opportunity for change or improvement. 

According to Dr. Clark, team members must progress through these stages in order to feel comfortable enough to speak up and make valuable contributions.  

6 tips for fostering psychological safety in your workplace 

It’s crucial to prioritize high psychological safety to create a high-performing team. 

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Team cultures reflect the actions and reactions of their leaders. Leaders who fail to establish and support psychologically safe team environments can cause irreparable negative consequences and damage to the organization.

Creating a psychologically safe work environment starts with coaching focused on behavior change. This starts with each team member and spreads throughout the organization. 

Changing cultural norms requires progressive learning by everyone in the company. A coach to guide these processes at the individual level ensures that behavior changes are being taught correctly. It’s reinforced in real-time through experiential learning.

To establish and maintain a psychologically safe work climate, leaders must consistently model inclusive behaviors in order to build out new team norms over time. 

Here are six ways you can foster psychological safety in your workplace. 

1. Practice active listening and curiosity 

Ask team members to weigh in with their thoughts and expertise. This is especially important to practice at times in which their opinions may challenge your thinking. 

Dive deep, ask questions, and ask for feedback from other team members too. Don’t assume team members are wrong just because you disagree. Peel the onion and learn from your team as much as they learn from you (if not more). 

Just as important as curiosity is the role of active listening. Active listening ensures people feel valued and that they can contribute to the team. Ideas to improve listening include:

• Leave phones at the door (or on the desk) during meetings
• Show understanding by repeating what was said
• Encourage people to share more by asking questions
• If certain individuals rarely speak during meetings, actively ask them for their opinion

2. Promote respect

If a team member engages in undermining, shaming, or any behavior that discourages others from speaking up, don’t condone it. But also, don’t ignore this behavior. 

Intervene and share how such statements can impede creativity and innovation, including the sharing of concerns, ideas, and questions.

3. Lead by example 

Anyone in a position of responsibility should set an example for the rest of the company. This is applicable from senior management, down to team leads and managers. If done properly, the set of behaviors should become a norm across the company.

• Ask for upward feedback
• Acknowledge your mistakes
• Be open to opinions that differ from your own
• Be approachable and encourage reports to ask questions

You can’t expect team members to perform a certain way or feel safe if you don’t lead by example. This means apologizing when you make a mistake, demonstrating considerate communication, showing empathy, and asking for help when you need it.

4. Embrace vulnerability 

According to Edmondson, leaders owning their vulnerability and fallibility is a mark of true strength. It shows a willingness to improve, and a recipe for encouraging open and honest feedback. When leaders acknowledge their own fallibility, it allows the team and the organization to learn and improve.

Importantly, it creates space for others to admit their own and models that ownership of mistakes is valued by the company.

This is even truer when it comes to remote work (in addition to online tools like polls, votes, and yes/no buttons).

5. Foster an open conversation (with a growth mindset) 

Pay attention to how teams operate. Is everyone given an opportunity to speak up? Are some more silent than others? Work to foster equal speaking time for everyone. 

Use ice breakers and calm environments to quickly get over any awkwardness or tension. Consider having company outings or virtual hangouts so team members can feel free to let their guard down and be themselves. 

This is also a great time to get to know each other on a deeper level. 

In order to break free of judgment and strengthen the relationship between team members, it’s important to have an open mindset. Often we look at things from our own lens, but approaching them from a different angle can help bring perspective. In order to develop an open mindset at the workplace:

• Encourage teams to share feedback with one another
• Help them learn how to respond to input from others
• Encourage teams and individuals to see feedback as a way to strengthen and build upon their ideas and processes.

6. Empower from a place of privilege

If you’re someone who isn’t underrepresented in your community, make efforts to leverage your privilege to empower underrepresented colleagues.

Examples of this include highlighting team members’ accomplishments among others. Recommend underrepresented team members for high visibility assignments and projects. Sustained visible support is equally important.

For example, volunteer to sponsor an employee resource group. Attend the events hosted by employee resource groups whether or not you are a sponsor. This shows actual interest and appreciation that can help build trust.

Creating an environment of psychological safety takes self-awareness and a commitment to learning new behaviors. But the tradeoff is more than worth it — and necessary. 

Beyond the obvious advantages of avoiding groupthink and creating an efficient team, dedicated resources will help. This helps to establishing the behaviors that lend themselves to psychological safety. By doing you, you’ll retain talented female teammates who deserve to have their seats at the table. 

Long-term, your entire organization will benefit.

How team members can promote psychological safety at work

For psychological safety to work for teams, everyone has to commit to it — including leaders and team members. To develop a culture where psychological safety is the norm, managers can try out these four psychological safety exercises:

• Pose a check-in question. Make a practice of taking 3 minutes at the beginning of meetings to pose a non-work-related, check-in question to participants. This allows people to see each other from a different angle and as whole people rather than just a role.
• Host an Anxiety Party. This term, as explained by Daniel Burka, describes a practice used by the Google Ventures design team. It creates a structure for bringing anxieties out in the open. It also normalizes vulnerability and uncertainty.
  
  Have each person spend 10 minutes writing down all the work- and project-related anxieties they felt. Then go around the circle, share their biggest anxiety.  Let their colleagues rank each anxiety on a scale of 0 (not troubling at all) to 5 (I strongly believe you need to improve this area).
  
  These parties aren’t about problem-solving — they gave people a structure for sharing and building trust with peers.
• Start alone. Make use of pre-work, silent individual reflection, and writing down ideas prior to having a group begin brainstorming or weighing in on someone’s work.
  
  This allows people to participate equally. It also works against the “piling on” that happens when a powerful voice moves in one direction and suddenly everyone else agrees.
• Share your stories. Employees follow the lead set by the leaders. When a manager shares their mistakes or struggles, the team has a model for how to share and be supportive with each other.
  
  As Brene Brown has said, “being vulnerable isn’t the same as not having a filter.” As a leader, be clear about what your intent is in sharing a story. It should be to build trust and deepen your relationship with the team, not to unburden yourself. 

Psychological safety doesn’t just come from the top. Team members need to take responsibility for creating a better environment for each other.

• Practice active listening during meetings and brainstorming sessions
• Ask thought-provoking, open-ended questions
• Give support and ask for support when needed
• Show empathy, care, and concern for each other
• Praise, encourage, and express gratitude for one another
• Express their creative ideas and politely encourage others to do the same
• Give each other the benefit of the doubt when expressing challenges 

How to foster psychological safety in a virtual workplace

In this virtual world, you may feel like it’s harder to measure psychological safety. The pandemic forced many organizations to move their workforce remote. And even if members of a team are transitioning to hybrid work, it’s likely virtual work is here to stay.

After all, meetings are all on Zoom. Communication is largely email, Slack, or other messaging platforms. And it can be difficult to gauge things like body language. You also miss out on those ad-hoc, one-off conversations or check-ins that you may traditionally have in the break room. 

That’s OK. There are still ways you can foster psychological safety in a virtual workplace. 

• Schedule regular one-on-one meetings with your teammates. You don’t need to be a manager to schedule a one-on-one, either. But having these important check-ins reiterate that you care and want to invest time in the relationship. 
• Go out of your way to ask for feedback. Make it easy for employees to share their feedback. Give them plenty of opportunities to do so — and receive and respond to feedback gracefully. 
• Carve out time in a team meeting for meaningful conversation. It’s easy to just dive right in to work. Be intentional about raising topics that might not be work-related. Or, source topic ideas from team members that aren’t work-related. 
• Create asynchronous communication channels. Regardless of what time zones your employees are working from, all should have the ability to communicate with one another. At BetterUp, we use Slack for most of our team communication in this hybrid and remote environment. 
• Make yourself vulnerable. Again, this is easier said than done. If you’re struggling with caregiving or childcare, it’s likely someone else is, too. If you’re feeling lonely or isolated, someone else probably is feeling the same. Vulnerability is strength. 

How to know if your employees feel safe

While many managers may not recognize the importance of psychological safety for effective teamwork or problem solving, not too many team leaders these days would say that they are actively trying to create an environment that feels unsafe. 

In some work cultures, toughness, aggressive challenging, or the ability to roll with the punches are valued. The idea that some team members don’t feel safe might be seen as their own problem, a lack of fit.

What these leaders might miss is how no one on the team feels psychologically safe, even those who fit in with the group. And that lack of psychological safety might be costing the team and the organization. 

When team members don’t feel safe, they adjust their behaviors and responses and create a less effective team. If everyone in the team is doing it, the team leader may not realize how much disengagement and unproductive behavior has taken root. 

So how can a manager or leader tell if their team members feel safe? We can take a cue from how researchers measure psychological safety:

• Your employees are actively sharing opinions that are different from each others’ or the manager’s
• People use clear, direct, respectful language without adding a lot of caveats or trying too hard not to offend
• When someone asks for feedback, others give them feedback, both positive and negative 
• Negative feedback is received as constructive criticism and an opportunity to learn, collaborate, or mentor
• There are multiple channels for employee feedback
• At status meetings, people regularly share aspects of projects that are at risk or not going well
• Few bad surprises. It is rare that projects have gone badly off-track or behind schedule without leaders being aware

Make psychological safety a priority 

Your organization should be a workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. That learning and growth hinges on interpersonal trust, self-awareness, and psychological safety. 

Psychological safety shouldn’t be a “nice to have” job perk. It should be a vital part of every company’s culture and future. 

In the workplace, team psychological safety must be a top priority if businesses want to create a successful enterprise. And, more importantly, psychological safety contributes to an inclusive, diverse, and accepting workplace. A workplace where team members feel safe to express themselves. 

At the end of the day, the mark of a good company is its team members.

The post Why psychological safety at work matters and how to create it appeared first on Stand-and-Up.