4 Ways To Manage Anxiety At Work
It’s clear that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the world. What’s not always clear is the cause. For example, you might be feeling particularly stressed on the job. This could be the result of generalized anxiety or it could be arising for some work-specific reasons. Either way, you’ll want relief, of course, but the difference is critical.
Anxiety can be triggered at the workplace. Work anxiety is triggered by the workplace — and everything related to it. Making this distinction empowers you and your therapist to focus on the specific forces at play. Let’s take a closer look.
Common Causes of Workplace Anxiety
Each case is unique but many universal threads exist. For example, here are some foundational root causes of anxiety at work:
There could be elements of the job and/or workplace that are personally triggering
Too much pressure from micro-managing, tight deadlines, overwork, etc.
Having conflicts with co-workers or customers
The workplace is rampant with unhealthy forms of communication like gossip
A long, stressful commute
Insufficient salary
You don’t find the work interesting, stimulating, or fulfilling
Any or all of these factors can fester and create a cycle of contagion. Workers and management feel stuck in a stress vortex that feeds off itself.
You Might Be Struggling With Work Anxiety If:
Job stress carries over into daily life to negatively impact sleep, mood, and more
Just thinking about work causes dread
You find yourself talking to others about your discomfort on the job
You regularly dream about quitting
4 Ways To Manage Anxiety At Work
1. Accept What is Happening
You might prefer to keep your emotions to yourself but you must identify what’s going on. Your job is decreasing the quality of your life and something has to change. This is not uncommon and you have more options than you imagine. The big first step is to acknowledge the cycle in which you’re stuck.
2. Keep Yourself Organized
If your job feels overwhelming, anxiety is inevitable. That said, there are almost always some practical steps that can ease your mind, e.g.
Get into the habit of keeping a schedule and a to-do list
Keep your work area clear of clutter
Practice good time management by prioritizing your tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and breaking big projects into smaller parts
If possible, get comfortable with delegating
Resist the urge to try controlling everything
If you discover that such basic adjustments feel difficult, open yourself up to the possibility that it’s your mindset that needs the primary adjustment (see #3 below).
3. Check Your Inner Perfectionist
The root cause of work anxiety often relates to job performance. If you don’t allow yourself the freedom to learn from your mistakes, you could be struggling with perfectionism. It’s often associated with anxiety and can make your workday a nightmare. Perfectionism can make any job seem unbearable but the cause is typically not the job. It’s more about an intense fear of failure.
4. Talk to Management
Most workplace anxiety can be alleviated when stressful conditions are addressed. This doesn’t mean you should rant or gripe. Rather, you can follow the proper channels and position yourself to talk about your needs and ideas. Meetings like this are a great way to discern if the situation can become more palatable.
Other Forms of Help
For starters, a daily self-care regimen is highly suggested. Focus on your eating, sleeping, exercise, and stress management patterns. That can help you manage anxiety while you explore therapy options. If anxiety at work has you feeling stuck, I’d love to connect with you and talk about it soon.
