Anxiety disorders are not easy to deal with, and a stressful workplace only makes it that much more difficult to handle. According to the ADA, the most challenging symptoms of anxiety in the workplace include difficulty with problems, meeting deadlines, participating in meetings, and others.
Thankfully, there are some actionable steps you can take to help curb this anxiety and create a more healthy dynamic with your workplace.
When you start to dread stepping into the office every day you get to work, it may be time to reconsider how you approach the job in the first place. Not only that, but it may be time to have some discussions with your managers in order to inform them of your condition and see how they can help reduce anxiety at work.
Where To Start?
Anxiety can cause feelings of an overactive mind that make it difficult to make a decision or focus on what’s important at that moment. For this reason, it can be very difficult to figure out where to start. There are multiple options here, but let’s start with something simple—talking to your employer.
It is completely up to you to discuss medical issues with your employer, but if you need accommodations (which many people do), you should be open and honest about what you suffer from, especially because it was medically diagnosed.
If you don’t, however, you may still want to educate them regarding your condition, so they are aware of any unique challenges that you may face. It is important to understand that your employer is legally prohibited from firing you or punishing you due to direct symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder.
Another place you can begin is to start taking time to think about the main factors at work that are causing your anxiety. This could be a certain project, a manager, deadlines, a new problem, or anything. Once you figure out some of the main causes of this, you can start to form a plan for how to curb the anxiety.
For example, if you get anxiety attacks when you think about confronting a manager about a deadline or issue that keeps coming up, you may consider discussing this with another manager or your employer. This can help you to be honest about the situation and bring in a third party to help you navigate and figure out the situation.
Tips Managing Stress At Work
Now that we’ve looked at some places to start getting the ball rolling, let’s take a look at some tips on how to reduce anxiety at work. Stress is completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of, but it is important to put effort towards managing anxiety in order to be your best self.
Practice Self-Care
From eating clean to exercising and taking care of your brain, self-care can go a long way towards managing the severity of an anxiety disorder. If you are not taking care of yourself, your mind can begin to run and cause you to overthink and become consumed by negative thoughts and emotions. This is a recipe for disaster and will not create a healthy dynamic at your workplace.
Be Realistic
When it comes to new projects and work, be realistic about what you can take on. Try not to agree to take on more work than you feel prepared to handle just to not cause a problem. It is more likely to be an issue if there is a misunderstanding rather than being truthful up front. This is especially true if big workloads tend to cause your anxiety to flare up.
Educate Yourself
Similar to our earlier point, make sure you are prepared to recognize the symptoms of your anxiety while remaining aware of how to handle them should they begin to get out of control.
Share Your Feelings
Whether through a trusted coworker or friend, venting your feelings to someone you trust can work wonders for managing anxiety disorders. This person may offer you their honest thoughts and points you may not have considered before. Talking about anxiety with the right person can help you process these intense emotions and help you feel validated.
Get The Help You Need
It’s important to find help for anxiety, stress, and related disorders. If you don’t already, be sure to make time to see a professional therapist and discuss the symptoms you experience. See how a professional can help reduce anxiety at work.
Alongside professional treatment and the tips found in this article, most people are able to find improvement. Be sure to always keep your health the main priority and never let work-induced anxiety get the best of your mind.
HR Search and Rescue is a full-service HR consulting firm. Their team takes pride in helping companies solve various kinds of workplace challenges, allowing them to cultivate a healthier and more efficient workplace.