Anxious at Work? 6 Tips to Cope
Whether you work in an office, out on a construction site, or wrangling kids in a classroom, work is full of different factors that can trigger anxiety. Heavy workloads, poor work-life balance, and conflict with coworkers are all common issues that people face on the job. On top of that, stress at the office often bleeds into happiness at home, which, in turn, affects performance in the office.
Our clients who struggle with anxiety in the workplace often don’t know how to break out of that cycle. Here are six helpful tips that have worked for them:
1. Schedule Breaks
Countless people end up working through their breaks because they’re worried about completing tasks on time. What starts as a one-time efficiency often ends up becoming a regular occurrence. If you don’t have time to take a full lunch break during your day, set regular alerts to get up and walk around. If you’re in a difficult environment, hit the bathroom, or find an excuse to go catch up with a coworker. And when you’re on these breaks? Try to talk about anything other than work.
2. Positive Self-Talk
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or underqualified, take a minute to remind yourself how capable you are. Think about times when you overcame challenges as well as things you have learned and accomplished. What kind of support and encouragement would you like to have in this situation? Talk to yourself in those ways to be your own cheerleader. Moving your mindset from doom-and-gloom to a silver-lining-oriented mode of thinking can be helpful by focusing on the positive and/or connecting what you are doing with your bigger goals and purpose.
3. Know Your Triggers
What are the top triggers for your anxiety at work? Are there specific coworkers that you have a hard time dealing with? Specific tasks, locations, or clients that you can’t handle? If you can identify areas where you’re having trouble, you may be able to work with your supervisor or coworkers to come up with solutions. Then it’s no longer just a big cloud of anxiety looming over you. This isn’t any different from figuring out how to allocate chores at home. Knowing what sets off your anxiety gives you a better idea of what problems you need to solve and thus of possible solutions.
- Create & Keep Boundaries
If you’re struggling with work-life balance, it may be because you haven’t set clear boundaries. When it comes to the workplace, setting those boundaries means making sure you’re setting aside time for your family and personal interests. Stick to business hours if possible, and if you have a high-pressure job that requires after-hours work, it’s important to make sure you limit that or get that time back. When someone comes to you with a new task while you’re already working on something, ask them which they want you to prioritize. It’s up to your boss how you spend your time, but that doesn’t mean they’re entitled to all of it.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Often, anxiety is rooted in our worries about the future. Fear of losing our job, getting a bad review, or dealing with a dreaded client. Practice keeping your attention focused on the present. To do this, pay special attention to your senses—textures, sounds, and smells. Focus on the task before you instead of the five that haven’t been done.
6. Create Checklists
Getting organized is a good way to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed. Check in with your supervisor or a coworker and ask them to review your responsibilities. Create a checklist with them. Once you have your checklist, you can start to figure out how much time is needed for each task—and track how long it takes you to do them after. This will let you set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.
Need more help managing stress and anxiety at work?
While the above tips may help you get your anxiety under control at work, your problems may be more complex. If you’re struggling with anxiety at work, Mindspace Counseling provides online counseling for anxiety and stress management in North Carolina. We teach our clients several strategies and techniques to help them get their groove back. You don’t have to let anxiety impact your performance. Reach out today if you want to learn more about how we can help.
