The Pressures of the Workplace: Coping With Work Anxiety

As a therapist, I often have clients come to me struggling with anxiety related to their jobs. The modern workplace can be a stressful environment - long hours, tight deadlines, endless emails and meetings, office politics, and the pressure to constantly perform at peak levels. While some anxiety is normal, excessive worry and stress about work responsibilities or dynamics can quickly become overwhelming and detrimental to both mental and physical health.

In my practice, there are several key workplace factors I've noticed that tend to exacerbate clients' anxiety:

• Work Overload - When employees are consistently asked to take on more tasks and responsibilities without being given more resources or support, it's a recipe for burnout. Trying to juggle too many competing priorities leaves people feeling frenzied and like they're drowning.

• Lack of Control - Not having a say over your workload, schedule, or how you complete tasks can leave you feeling helpless and frustrated. Furthermore, unpredictability and uncertainty about things like reorganizations or layoffs also contribute to anxiety.

• Toxic Work Culture - An overly critical boss, gossiping or competitive colleagues, office politics, and poor communication within teams takes a psychological toll. A cutthroat, high-pressure environment often leaves employees feeling insecure and stressed.

• Work-Life Imbalance - When work consistently bleeds into evenings, weekends, and vacation time, it becomes difficult to ever fully decompress. Without recovery periods, stress keeps mounting. Trying to juggle caregiving responsibilities or health issues alongside inflexible job demands also increase anxiety.

• Social Stressors - For some people, anxieties tied to social interactions or public speaking in front of co-workers lead them to dread meetings, presentations, office parties, and other work-related situations that emphasize interpersonal engagement.

• Fear of Failure or Mistakes - Perfectionists and those with high levels of conscientiousness often put excessive pressure on themselves to never slip up at work. Obsessing over minor errors or failures can fuel feelings of inadequacy and anxiety.

So how can someone coping with intense work-related anxiety start to regain their sense of calm and control? Here are some of my top recommendations:

• Take Breaks - Make sure to take short breaks during the workday to recharge - get up and walk around, do some stretches or deep breathing, eat a nutritious snack, connect with a supportive colleague. Use your lunch break to decompress instead of working through it.

• Set Boundaries - When you leave work, make a conscious effort to disengage from job-related emails, calls, or responsibilities. Don't allow your work life to bleed into home life. Set clear limits with colleagues on your availability outside working hours.

• Practice Gratitude - Make a list of things you appreciate about your job - what gives you a sense of purpose or meaning, what aspects play to your strengths. This can help reframe anxiety and remind you of the positive.

• Visualize Success - Picture yourself calmly handling difficult situations or projects, and summon up feelings of confidence. Positive visualization can help replace anxiety with optimism.

• Get Organized - Make to-do lists to break down big assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks. Prioritize what's most important and let go of perfectionism around lower priority items. Decluttering your workspace can also help clear your mind.

• Learn to Say No - Know your limits and don't be afraid to decline requests that would put you past your bandwidth. Saying no to extra duties shows you value your time and wellbeing.

• Seek Support - Make time to regularly connect with encouraging co-workers who can empathize with workplace stressors. Friends and family, mentorship, or even business coaching can also provide valuable support.

• Exercise and Eat Well - Incorporating regular exercise and healthy eating habits into your schedule helps manage anxiety. Taking a walk outdoors midday can be particularly rejuvenating.

• Get Proper Sleep - Make sure you allow enough time for quality sleep each night, power down electronic devices well before bed, and engage in relaxing nighttime routines. Proper rest makes it easier to cope with stress.

• Consider Professional Help - If you've tried the above strategies extensively and your work anxiety still feels unmanageable, don't hesitate to seek counseling. Therapists are equipped to help you build skills to thrive in high-pressure work settings.

The workplace will always present its fair share of stressors. But by being intentional about drawing boundaries, seeking support, and coping with anxiety in healthy ways, you can protect your mental health - leaving you better equipped to succeed in your career while leading a fulfilling life. With the right strategies, it is possible to keep work anxieties in check.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/work-life-balance/art-20048134

https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm

https://www.verywellmind.com/cope-with-generalized-anxiety-disorder-at-work-4125397

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_00.htm

https://www.stress.org/workplace-stress