Anxiousness within the office: causes, signs, and therapy

If you are stressed out at work, you know this happens to everyone and is completely normal. However, if you find that stress is constant and overwhelming, and is preventing you from living your life, it may be an anxiety disorder.

Fear at work can have a huge impact on you and your career. People who feel anxious at work can even make career decisions based on their fear. For example, if you need to manage more, speak publicly, or travel to new places, you might feel like you have to turn down a promotion.

If you feel anxious in the workplace, you may experience symptoms such as:

• Avoid friends or family
• Constantly worrying
• cry
• Feeling irritable, tired, or tense
• Feeling like you have to be perfect
• sleep disorders
• Having trouble concentrating or remembering things
• Losing interest in your work
• Overeating or undereating

What causes fear in the workplace?

Many things can cause anxiety in the workplace. Darcy E. Gruttadaro, JD, director of the Center for Mental Health at Work for the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, says anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States.

continuation

“It’s not uncommon for people to be nervous about a big presentation, meeting with clients, or working face-to-face with executives,” says Gruttadaro. “Anxiety disorders involve more extreme, often debilitating and persistent levels of fear, concern, and worry.”

In fact, employees and managers may not realize that a person they work with has an anxiety disorder. Gruttadaro says some red flags that could indicate a person has an anxiety disorder include:

• A drop in performance
• Excessively missed work days
• Do not appear to be working
• Physical complaints such as sweating, upset stomach, and trouble sleeping (without further explanation)
• Poor labor productivity

Debra Pillow, PhD, a clinical psychologist, says it can be helpful to take a look at how you’re feeling throughout the work day.

“[Evaluate your anxiety] in terms of how difficult it is and how disabling it is, ”says Pillow. “Maybe it shows up and you are still working pretty effectively, or if you feel like this you might only be 10% as effective as you would otherwise.”

continuation

The main cause of anxiety at work depends on the person. For some people, excessively long hours, high levels of stress, lack of support from managers and employees, and related factors can lead someone to develop anxiety at work, Gruttadaro says.

Other situations that could make you anxious include:

• Dealing with problems at work
• Hold presentations
• Keeping up with personal relationships
• Meetings, staff lunches, and office parties
• Meet and schedule appointments
• Talk during meetings

Dealing with anxiety at work

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to help manage your anxiety and stress at work.

For example, Pillow suggests keeping a log to find out what type of fear you are having. Start by tracking down moments when you feel uncomfortable or anxious during the work day.

“Maybe there are some trends, for example at the beginning of the day when you first look at everything that’s due, or at the end of the day when you have so much on your plate but really need to go Pick up your children, ”she says.

continuation

It can also be helpful to listen to your inner voice and face some of these fearful thoughts.

“When your mind says, ‘Oh, they definitely think I’m stupid’ or, ‘Oh, they just ignored me.’ Is there any other explanation as to why they walked by your desk or didn’t hear you on the Zoom call? “Pillow says. “So we’re not just trying to convince ourselves that everything is okay, we want a more realistic interpretation than a catastrophic one.”

Here are a few more tips:

• Adopt healthy habits. Getting enough sleep, eating healthy diets, exercising regularly, and not drinking too much alcohol or caffeine can all help keep your mind and body in shape.
• Be organized. While wiping your computer and desk may not be a high priority, staying organized will do wonders for you in the long run.
• Be honest to yourself. If you don’t have enough time for it, don’t take on tasks, projects, and tasks that you don’t have time for.
• Communicate. Ask for help when you need it. If you are too busy, get in touch. Your manager may not realize that you are too thin.
• Celebrate your successes. Take a second to celebrate your work and thank the people who have helped you before moving on to the next task or project.
• Educate yourself. Learn to spot signs of anxiety and get an idea of ​​how to deal with these symptoms at work.
• Do it right the first time. Spend a little more time nailing it down the first time. This can be helpful in the long run because you don’t have to repeat your hard work.
• Prepare and plan. If you have larger projects, start them early and set mini deadlines yourself. It can also be helpful to prepare for and prevent problems that arise.
• Set clear boundaries. Don’t bring any work home. For example, make it a rule not to check your voicemail or business email as soon as you leave work.
• Avoid toxic employees. Don’t listen to gossip or negativity in your workplace.
• Take breaks if you have to. Try some breathing techniques or take a walk to clear your mind. This also includes holidays. Chances are you’ll feel refreshed and ready to come back to this when you return.
• Tell a colleague you trust. Having someone at work who knows about your anxiety can be comforting and relieve some of that stress and anxiety.
• Use your time management skills. Practicing time management can help alleviate some of the fears. Try using task lists to prioritize your tasks. These lists can also ensure that you allow enough time to complete each task.
• Job. Getting engaged in work can boost your self-esteem and strengthen your social identity, not to mention earning the income you need.

Tell your employer

Whether or not you tell your employer about your fear at work is entirely up to you. Maybe you need somewhere to stay or you want to let people know what you are going through.

The American With Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with a physical or mental disability who are qualified for the job. This can protect you from discrimination in the workplace. An employer cannot refuse to hire you because you have a disability and you are unable to do things that are not essential to your role at work.

If you’re an employer, making sure your employees have access to mental health services and support is important, says Gruttadaro.

She also suggests a few other things employers can do to support their employees:

• Train the workforce and managers. “The more visible you make information about mental illnesses such as anxiety, the more likely employees are to feel mentally safe looking for treatment,” says Gruttadaro.
• Encourage employees to take advantage of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). It can be helpful to remind employees of the mental health benefits available. Gruttadaro says it’s also a good idea to normalize fears than usual and encourage your staff to get help when needed.
• Assisting managers in assisting employees with anxiety. “This includes working with managers on strategies to deal with empathy and compassion. This may not be a given for all managers, ”says Gruttadaro. “Remind managers that having a supportive workplace helps build employee loyalty, engagement, and engagement in order to perform well for the company, which ultimately benefits everyone.”

continuation

Pillow says that finding accommodation that meets the needs of both the employee and the employer is a win-win scenario. For example, if your manager verbally assigns you multiple tasks and you find it overwhelming, you can ask that manager if they can email you the tasks as well.

“When you can have someone less burned out and less stressed, the worker and the employer wins,” she says. “Maybe there is a little change in a role. Maybe you’re doing something that you’re okay with, but you really have a different strength … you might find a way to tap into it. “

Ways to get help

Anxiety and stress shouldn’t be ignored. Professionals such as counselors and therapists can help you feel better. They can recommend regular therapy sessions, medication, or other treatments.