Work in itself involves a lot of pressure. You have deadlines, presentations, confronting people, socializing, etc. However, for someone who gets easily anxious under pressure or in social situations, work as a total package could be quite overwhelming.
Work anxiety if not attended to on time is capable of reducing your quality of life. It not only impairs your ability to function more effectively but also affects the way you interact with people and attend to matters at work.
Regardless of what is said about dealing with anxiety with some yoga and mindfulness, dealing with work anxiety takes a little more effort than that. You can start by implementing small strategies that help you stay calm at work, especially around your boss and colleagues. This could help you to stay more positive, confident and focused. Let’s take a look at a few strategies.
Don’t Be Afraid of What You Feel
Being anxious at work is normal, anxiety disorders are not something you take for granted or sweep below the carpet. Your workspace is the space where you are expected to give your best shot, work efficiently and get results. Hence, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and to give yourself the space to acknowledge the same.
Many are not vocal about their work anxiety fearing that their employers would interpret it as a sign of inefficiency. The goal is to be your best self and fight through your anxiety and that is what your boss or colleagues must see in you.
The willpower and the determination that you bring to the workforce despite what you carry within. Your work earns you your daily bread, it gives you an opportunity to be independent. Don’t let anxiety ruin that for you. Don’t fear it, face it.
Go Along With It, Not Against It
Rather than fighting yourself and not acknowledging that damaging ways work anxiety could result in, practice more self-compassion and self-acceptance. You are not your enemy here. You must work with yourself to understand how you can make the best of dealing with work anxiety rather than denying it.
Let Stress Motivate You
Many can’t handle stress or even the thought of a little pressure. But to think of it, stress is not all that harmful when you know how to channel it efficiently.
Yes, of course, you deserve to take a break from the routine work stress and as you should but at the same time you can utilize this stress and mould it into something that pushes you to improve in the ways you work and perform.
Don’t waste your energy understanding and managing your stress. Use that energy constructively in defeating it.
Give Yourself Space
While dealing with work anxiety, you do not need the added pressure of wanting to keep everything perfectly, being an overachiever and setting exorbitantly high expectations from yourself. It is a given that when you are not feeling your best, you tend to feel more agitated and angry and therefore treating yourself in a more harsh manner could only make things worse.
Thus, make time for yourself where you are allowed to feel vulnerable and can accept it. Even if you are in the middle of work, take a little time out to stop what you are doing and engage in something you enjoy. Like listening to music, taking a walk, talking to a loved one, anything that would help you recharge and get back to work with better energy.
Get Organised
At times, when we tend to be unorganized, things could get more overwhelming. In order to avoid this, it is good to practice being organized as it also enhances your productivity, and performance and helps reduce being anxious.
You could begin by setting out a To-Do list for the day and further categorizing the large tasks into simpler steps and then giving yourself an assigned deadline for completing each of these tasks.
Establish Boundaries
It is imperative that you have boundaries and you are vocal about the same in your workspace. There is a limit to how much people can work and approach you at the same and up till a certain time. Be honest about the kind of projects you are willing to work on and if yes, adopt an effective communication style with your boss or team members.
At the same time, if you are unable to maintain the same, at least create a work-life balance so you are allowed to focus on yourself.
Conclusion
Anxiety may end up making you feel completely restless and fearful. It is therefore not something you ignore. In worst situations where your work anxiety has instilled frequent panic attacks, it is always advisable for you to approach a professional and seek medical help.
However, it is true that with the given global scenario and how there has been a shift in everyone’s work routine, many individuals are going through this and it is something that can be defeated.
Any sort of change can be threatening to humans and the fact that we have moved from a working office atmosphere to our isolated homes and this back and forth is something that could always trigger anxiety. Thus, by implementing such small steps you could always face your anxiety and hope to curb it.
