Workplace Anxiety

Posted on by MOHaDm
Workplace Anxiety
Workplace anxiety is real, and can be caused by lots of reasons, including demands of the job, excessive workload or unrealistic targets, as well as conflicts with colleagues or not having enough support.
First, it’s not always easy to tell whether you’re experiencing work anxiety or symptoms of an anxiety disorder.

The tell-tale sign? Your anxiety is limited to work.

Depending on your situation, it might be helpful to evaluate whether your job is right for you. But if you aren’t able or don’t want to change jobs, there are ways to manage workplace anxiety:

Practice Self Awareness

Try and understand what exactly is creating your anxious feelings or worsening the symptoms of your condition. Knowing the cause can help you figure out next steps.

Share your feelings 

It may be helpful to talk to a trusted colleague who can relate to and sympathise with your anxiety. Or else a friend, family worker or mental health professional. Talking about anxiety with right person can help you process these intense emotions. They may even have suggestions to help you cope.

Release your thoughts 

Anxiety feeds off itself and quite quickly one anxious thought can turn into 100. ‘There is no way I’ll meet this deadline’. ‘What if my boss thinks my ideas are terrible’. ‘What if they reject my proposal’ If you are feeling overwhelmed with this kind of thought spiral it can be helpful to release your thoughts.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by writing them all down. Do a brain dump of you most anxious thoughts, not to understand them, but just to get them ‘out’.

Know When to Ask for Help

If you are drowning in work, having a hard day or feeling like you can’t meet your supervisor’s expectations, ask your colleagues for help. Asking for help when you need it alleviates your burden and builds trust amongst coworkers.

Accept Anxiety 

The more you fear anxiety, the more powerful it can become. Part of reducing anxiety is accepting that sometimes work is going to make you feel that way. This is a alot easier said than done, but it comes with practice. So next time you feel your thoughts and heartbeat start to race, take a moment and tell yourself: ‘I feel anxious right now and that’s ok. I don’t know how long this will last and I’m ok with that’ Tell yourself these things and mean them. It can be surprising how much this small act can help.

To find out more about workplace anxiety for yourself or to support a colleague visit Workplace – Mind