Battle Your Team’s Workplace Stress with These 47 Fun Ideas

How big of a problem is stress at work? Well, 80% of workers feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage that stress. As a leader, it’s on you to answer this call for help.

Thankfully, we’re here to help you help others. These 47 tips are some (okay, all) of our favorite ways to reduce workplace stress.

Reduce Workplace Stress with These Fun Ideas:

1. Announce a surprise trip to get ice cream.
2. Host a lunchtime yoga session.
3. Schedule a day when everybody gets to work from home.
4. Plan a bowling night (unless your team hates bowling — then try putt putt).
5. Supply some free snacks.
6. Buy an exercise bike for the office.
7. Send a weekly memo with links to guided meditation videos.
8. Celebrate birthdays with piñatas.
9. Put together a potluck style taco bar, where everybody brings a different ingredient.
10. Hold a ping pong tournament.
11. Set up a March Madness office bracket challenge.
12. Invite everybody to a new bar for a Friday afternoon happy hour.
13. Make time for “show and tell,” where employees can share their passions outside of work.
14. Write down everybody’s favorite coffee drink and periodically surprise them with a treat.
15. Cater a lunch to celebrate the end of a quarter.
16. Invest in a kegerator.
17. Invest in an espresso machine.
18. Invest in a waffle maker.
19. Hang personalized envelopes so employees can share notes of gratitude with one another.
20. Host a monthly drawing or contest.
21. Take everybody rock climbing.
22. Buy everything you need to create a lunchtime salad bar.
23. Coordinate participation in an after-work sports league.
24. Create a shared Spotify playlist so the whole team can add their favorite tracks.
25. Bake cookies in the afternoon.
26. Buy a potted succulent plant for every desk.
27. Set up a company trivia game, with questions about employees.
28. Take everybody to an arcade.
29. Organize a weekend book club.
30. Organize a weekend movie night.
31. Organize a weekend game night.
32. Buy a popcorn machine for the office.
33. Throw a karaoke party.
34. Create core value decals for employees’ computers.
35. Pick a day when everyone has to communicate in GIFs.
36. Make sure there’s always a Costco-size jar of M&Ms handy.
37. On nice days, invite people on walks.
38. Designate a quiet room for meditation and naps.
39. Cut down on long meetings and discourage the overuse of internal email.
40. Get an office pet (maybe a tortoise?).
41. Create a channel for sharing personal photos and updates.
42. Ask people how they prefer to receive feedback, and make sure that’s how you give it.
43. Address tense situations head-on to clear the air — don’t make employees walk on eggshells.
44. Offer time management workshops.
45. Create a survey to help gauge who feels overworked.
46. Organize a workday dedicated to community service.
47. Buy everybody a Fitbit to encourage activity.

Got other ideas? Let us know in the comments!