5 small but powerful habits to destress your team like a boss in 2025

Workplace burnout has reached epidemic levels. A recent Deloitte survey found that 77% of full-time U.S. employees have experienced burnout in their current job, with more than half saying they’ve faced it multiple times. Nearly 70% feel their employers aren’t doing enough to address burnout, and 21% report no initiatives from their companies at all.

While companies often respond with wellness programs, meditation rooms, or meeting-free Fridays, these well-intentioned fixes are performative at best. Many employees are either too busy to use them or unaware that they even exist. More importantly, they fail to address the root cause: the way we work just isn’t working.

Employees report feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected, buried in mundane tasks without the sense they’re making a meaningful impact. What people need isn’t more “quick fixes” but a fundamental shift in how work feels—where they regain control, find purpose, and stay energized.

“As adults, we often forget how to play (like kids)—being silly and being engaged with each other. One of the most important things we can do as leaders at times of stress is to change the environment in which our teams work,” says Sandy Ono, CMO at OpenText. “When we create work environments with clarity, commitment, and creativity, our teams understand the game they are in, the guardrails of the game, and feel much more energized in their daily work.”

Here are five small but powerful habits to help you achieve that. The beauty is that they’re easy to try and have an immediate impact.

5-minute moves

Deadlines make it tempting to skip breaks, but research shows even a quick five-minute walk every 30 minutes reduces stress, sharpens focus, and can lower blood sugar levels by up to 50%. This isn’t just for physical health—it clears the mind and renews energy to return to tasks feeling refreshed.

Moving to think and destress is an old, proven practice: Try taking frequent mini-breaks, even if it’s just a lap around the house, the kitchen, or the office. Do a phone call rather than a Zoom or Teams call so participants can move during the meeting instead of being anchored to a desk. Little movements add up to healthy habits.

Say no, or practice ‘yes, if’

Meetings and tasks pile up fast, swallowing hours that could be spent on valuable work. The “say no” or “yes, if” strategy is a powerful habit to combat this. Rather than saying yes to every request, decline requests for your time if you feel it’s unnecessary, or, add conditions by setting boundaries. If saying no feels difficult, try “yes, if.” This approach introduces the concept of trade-offs (and fairness) when requesting your help and gives you agency over your time. It also stops colleagues from assuming they can take people’s time freely without considering other priorities you may be juggling.

Block time for deep work

The constant influx of emails, pings, and notifications keeps employees in reactive mode. Set aside dedicated time each week for “deep work”—undisturbed time for complex thinking, free from interruptions. If you’re a leader, suggest your team try doing the same.

In my company, dedicating a half-day each week for deep thinking work has been transformative. I allow my team to block time on their calendar and actually mandate they use that time for focused, uninterrupted work. No one needs to put fake meetings on their calendar to protect their team because I, as the boss, insist they do. Team members feel more engaged, and productive, and experience a real sense of accomplishment. Deep work time doesn’t just boost productivity—it fuels purpose and job satisfaction.

End the day by setting your VIPs

Many people start the day by setting goals, but I would flip that thinking on its head: Ending each day with a quick prep for tomorrow can be more powerful. Here’s how it works: Review what you accomplished, then identify the top two priorities for the next day, aka your VIPs (Very Important Projects). This simple habit shifts mornings from reactive scrambling to focused productivity. Encourage your team to try it, and they’ll start each day with a compass, not a clock.

Stop stress in the moment: Breathe

Breathing exercises might seem trivial, but box breathing is highly effective for stress management. I used to roll my eyes at suggestions like this, but then I tried it, and guess what? It works. Used by Navy SEALs, it involves inhaling for four seconds, holding for four, exhaling for four, and holding again for four. Repeating this centers the mind and calms the nerves.

Try it for yourself. And if you’re in a position to do so, encourage others to use box breathing as a tool for high-stress moments, too. After a tense meeting or challenging project, a minute of box breathing can restore focus and prevent stress from accumulating.

Less fluff, more focus

Ditching surface-level fixes in favor of meaningful change is essential to transforming your workplace. Support your team with these small but powerful habits to restore focus, resilience, and a sense of purpose. Burnout shouldn’t be the norm; together, we can build a culture where employees feel empowered and excited about their work.

Let’s create workplaces where mental health, productivity, and happiness go hand in hand. Embrace these habits, lead by example, and watch your team transform from burned out to balanced, engaged, and energized.