With mental health ranked the top health concern globally and stress levels rising across Asia, leaders are under increasing pressure. Here are five practical ways that might help manage pressure while supporting team wellbeing more effectively.
With Stress Awareness Month, commemorated every April, drawing attention to wellbeing, workplace stress continues to be a concern across markets.
According to the Ipsos Health Service Report 2025, mental health has been identified as the biggest health problem for the third year in a row. On average, 45% of people across 30 countries said it is one of the main health issues facing their country today. This is an increase from 27% in 2018.
In Asia, more than half of respondents in Singapore (53%) identified mental health as a key health concern. This is followed by Indonesia (48%), South Korea (46%), and Malaysia (40%). Thailand reported 33%, while Japan and India recorded 25% and 20% respectively.
The study also looked specifically at stress as a health concern. In this case, South Korea recorded the highest proportion at 43%, followed by Thailand (40%), Japan (39%), and Indonesia (36%). Malaysia and India reported lower figures at 21% and 13%.
Beyond perception, the findings also reflect lived experiences. When asked whether they had felt stressed to the point where they could not cope several times over the past year, 30% of respondents in India said yes. This was followed by Indonesia at 25%. Singapore, Thailand, and Japan each reported 23%, while Malaysia and South Korea recorded 18% and 15%.
These findings suggest that stress is both common and ongoing across the region.
For leaders, this comes at a time when expectations continue to grow. Many are balancing business demands with the need to support their teams, while also managing their own workload.
In this context, how leaders manage stress can affect both their own wellbeing and the wider team environment.
Here are five practical ways that might help:
- Decide what needs your attention: Focus on the tasks that really need you, and delegate or delay the rest. This can help reduce unnecessary pressure and free up time.
- Protect small pockets of uninterrupted time: Back-to-back meetings can make it hard to focus. Blocking short periods in your day without meetings or messages allows you to think more clearly and get important work done.
- Check in with your team regularly: Keep it simple and consistent. Ask how they are doing and if anything is affecting their work. Regular check-ins can help you spot issues early and prevent stress from building up.
- Take short breaks during the day: Working for long stretches without a break can increase fatigue. Stepping away for even a few minutes can help you reset and return with better focus.
- Model work-life balance: Keeping working hours reasonable when possible and taking leave when needed can help leaders manage stress, while also showing healthy habits for the team.
Stress is a growing part of working life across Asia, and leaders are not exempt. While there is no single solution, small, consistent actions can help.
By being more intentional in how they work and modelling simple healthy habits, leaders can better manage their own stress and support a healthier work environment.
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