Has workplace anxiety made it difficult for you to cope with work responsibilities? Has it left you stressed beyond measure? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
Workplace anxiety is much more common than you might think. According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 40 percent of US citizens reported feeling anxious during work.
You’ll see that a large majority of these people cannot manage workplace anxiety and hence struggle with a variety of problems in their personal and professional lives.
Workplace anxiety can be incapacitating and often make you question yourself. All this stress can lead to physical symptoms like muscle tension and exhaustion.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Workplace Anxiety:
Before we go on ahead and advise some ways to cope with workplace anxiety, it is essential to understand that everyone has different coping mechanisms when dealing with stress.
However, the people who have workplace anxiety usually have these symptoms:
- Less productivity
- Somatic problems (physical health problems)
- Inability to concentrate
- Excessive self-focus
- Taking a lot of time off from work
If you are struggling with workplace anxiety, here is how you can cope:
Ask For Help:
Anxiety can be debilitating, and it can leave you questioning yourself. To cope with it, you should seek professional help.
Talking to a healthcare expert can help you better understand your condition, and they can help you devise personalized strategies to cope with it.
You might initially feel uncomfortable asking for help. However, you’ll see that it will pay off in the long run. Remember, the best way to manage anxiety is by taking medical assistance.
Programs like those offered at the Vista Pines Health Group provide patients with guidance and suggest alternative treatment options for developing an effective and fast-tracked coping mechanism to deal with anxiety.
You can also ask for help from family and friends when you think you cannot go on. Moreover, asking a colleague for help when you feel you can’t do something correctly also helps lower workplace anxiety.
When you ask someone for help at your workplace, it lets them see that you care about doing the best at your job.
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Let Your Manager or Supervisor Know About Your Anxiety:
Talking to someone in authority at the workplace helps manage your anxiety. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but you’ll see that it is highly effective.
Managers usually try to ensure that the environment their employees work in is productive and helps them do their job effectively.
They try to reduce and often eliminate actors that hinder an employee’s performance.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 states that you cannot be discriminated from other employees because of your anxiety.
Many employees hold back from sharing how they truly feel because they think it will take away opportunities from them or make them appear weak.
While this concern stands true, we see that many organizations now have mechanisms to ensure a productive environment for those struggling with workplace anxiety.
Don’t Overexert Yourself:
Knowing your limits and how far you can push yourself is essential. Hence, try focusing on one task at a time. Complete that before you start worrying about any other job.
Work on tasks on a priority basis, i.e., see when each task is due and make a schedule. Ask for help from someone if you think that you cannot do more.
You may also listen to music during working or watch an episode of your favorite series to destress if your workplace allows it. However, ensure that you aren’t slacking. Set achievable targets and deadlines for each task.
Ensure that you meditate for at least five minutes every day. Take some time off to recharge whenever you need to. Moreover, you can go for a walk during your break.
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Use Coping Strategies:
Adopting quick-working coping strategies can help you tackle workplace anxiety effectively. Taking a time-out is an effective way of destressing and putting things in perspective.
Take a few minutes to yourself before you go back in. Listening to a calming song is also a great way to relax.
Chatting with colleagues regarding non-work-related things and dividing work also helps manage workplace anxiety.
You can also practice brief breathing exercises when you think that you are feeling intense anxiety. They will slowly help lower your adrenaline levels.
Moreover, visualization is a common way to lessen a person’s negative emotions.
Grounding involves using all five senses to connect with your surroundings; it is another way of dealing with workplace anxiety and is typically used by people prone to panic attacks.
You can engage in activities that stimulate the senses, like holding something warm or cold, listening to affirmations, smelling flowers, or even tasting something with a pungent taste.
Never Suppress Your Anxiety:
Never stifle your feelings. There is nothing more dangerous than bottling up your anxiety and negative thoughts. Every single one of us experiences stress at some level.
It is our body’s natural response to tense circumstances. Let that anxiety show. Embrace it rather than push it away.
When you see your anxiety worsening, it is a tell-tale sign that it is trying to bring your attention to a severe collapse soon.
Hence, never hide your anxiety. It will only worsen it. Talk to a professional and your family, friends, and colleagues.
Try to find the root cause of your anxiety and then start working on finding ways to cope with it.
Be Mindful:
Make sure that you check in with yourself periodically. We often forget to do this in our busy routines. This often leads to burnout and intense fatigue.
Analyze yourself when anxiety hits you, believe it or not, it will make you see yourself in a new light.
Practice mindfulness whenever you feel yourself zoning out and becoming wrapped up in worry. You can even meditate to bring yourself back to the present.
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Bottom Line:
Workplace anxiety has the power to decapacitate you, and it will make your question everything that you know. Talking to your family, friends, colleagues, and managers can help you handle it better.
However, it is advised that you consult a healthcare professional regarding your condition. Moreover, practice mindfulness, adopt coping strategies, and don’t over-exert yourself.
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