Why does my job give me anxiety?

Know that you are not alone in experiencing feelings of stress while at work and that it is quite natural for you to feel this way. On the other hand, if you come to the realization that your stress is ongoing, overpowering, and stops you from enjoying your life, it is possible that you have an anxiety condition.

Experiencing anxiety while you're at work may have a significant and negative effect on both you and your job. People who often experience anxiety at work could even let their anxiety influence their choice of professional path. For instance, if accepting a promotion would require more management, public speaking, or traveling to new areas, you could feel that you have little choice but to decline the offer.

If you suffer from anxiety in the job, you could experience symptoms such as the following:

Avoiding friends or family

Worrying oneself continually

Crying

Feeling unpleasant, fatigued, or tense

Feeling as if you are required to be flawless

Having difficulties sleeping

Having difficulties focusing and forgetting things at the same time

a lack of enthusiasm in the task you do

eating too much or not enough

What Are the Roots of Anxiety in the Workplace?

Anxiety in the workplace may be caused by a variety of factors. Anxiety disorders are the most frequent kind of mental illness in the United States, according to Darcy E. Gruttadaro, JD, director of the Center for Workplace Mental Health at the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.

According to Gruttadaro, "it is fairly unusual for employees to feel worried approaching a major presentation, meeting with customers, or dealing directly with top officials." "Anxiety disorders are characterized by levels of anxiety, apprehension, and concern that are more intense, and often incapacitating, than normal."

In point of fact, coworkers and bosses may not even be aware that a person they work with suffers from an anxiety problem. According to Gruttadaro, the following are some warning signs that might indicate that a person has an anxiety disorder:

A decrease in overall performance

Numerous absences from work on a daily basis

Lacking the appearance of being engrossed in work

Problems with one's body, such as excessive perspiration, an upset stomach, and trouble sleeping (without another explanation)

Poor productivity on the job

A clinical psychologist by the name of Debra Kissen, PhD, suggests that it might be good to take a look at how you are feeling during the course of the workday.

"[You should evaluate your anxiety] based on how bad it is and how much of a limitation it causes," advises Kissen. "Perhaps it is manifesting itself, but you are still functioning very efficiently; alternatively, while you are experiencing those symptoms, perhaps you are only ten percent as effective as you would be otherwise."

Anxiety at work may have a variety of causes, which vary from person to person. According to Gruttadaro, the development of anxiety at work may be a result of a number of causes, including excessively long work hours, high levels of stress, a lack of support from supervisors and coworkers, and other associated variables.

Other circumstances that might cause you to feel apprehensive are as follows:

Managing problems in one's place of employment

Providing talks and presentations

Maintaining one's personal connections and friendships

Events such as conferences, lunches for employees, and office parties

Observing due dates and establishing new ones

Speaking out at meetings

Managing Anxiety at Work

You are in luck since there are a number of things you can do to keep your anxiety and tension under control while you are at work.

For instance, Kissen recommends maintaining a record so that you can identify the specific kind of anxiety that you are experiencing. Begin by keeping a log of the times throughout the day on the job when you have uncomfortable or worrisome feelings.

"Perhaps there are some patterns, like it's really more in the beginning of the day when you're first looking at everything that's due, or maybe it's at the end of the day when you still have so much on your plate but you really need to leave to pick up your kids," she says. "Maybe there are some trends, like it's really more in the beginning of the day when you're first looking at everything that's due."

It may also be helpful to pay attention to the voice you hear within your head and confront some of the worried ideas that you have.

"If the thought crosses your mind that 'Oh, they must think I'm foolish' or 'Oh, they completely disregarded me.'" Is there any other possibility other that they passed by your workplace or that they were too far away to hear you on the Zoom call? Kissen says. "So what we're trying to do here is not simply persuade ourselves that everything is OK; rather, we want to have a more realistic view as opposed to a catastrophic one."

Additional suggestions are as follows:

Develop some good routines. Maintaining a healthy mind and body may be accomplished by getting a enough amount of sleep, eating a nutritious diet, being active on a consistent basis, and avoiding consuming an excessive amount of alcohol or caffeine.

Maintain your order. Maintaining your organization can do wonders for you in the long term, despite the fact that cleaning out your computer and desk may not seem like a high priority.

Be truthful and sincere with yourself. Do not accept jobs, projects, or assignments that you will not be able to complete in the allotted time if you do not have the time to do them.

Communicate. If you find that you need assistance, don't hesitate to ask for it. Speak out if you're finding that you have too much on your plate. It's possible that your management doesn't know how wide apart you are.

Celebrate your accomplishments. Take a moment to congratulate yourself on your accomplishments and express gratitude to those who assisted you before moving on to the next activity or endeavor.

Get some formal training. Find out how to recognize the symptoms of anxiety, and receive some ideas on how to deal with those feelings while you're at work.

Make sure that the initial attempt is successful. Invest a little bit of additional effort into getting it right on the first try. This may be useful in the long term since it will save you from having to repeat all of your hard work.

Get ready and have a plan. If you have any significant tasks, you should start working on them as soon as possible and give yourself many smaller deadlines. Additionally, being prepared for potential problems and making an effort to avoid them might be of assistance.

Establish very distinct limits. Do not take your work with you when you go home. For instance, make it a rule that after you leave the office, you won't check your work email or voicemail until the next day.

Stay away from toxic coworkers at all costs. In your place of employment, you should avoid listening to negative talk or gossip.

When you feel the urge, take a break. To get your thoughts organized, you may try practicing some methods that include deep breathing or going for a stroll. This also applies to time off for vacation. Once you go back, there is a good chance that you will feel revitalized and prepared to get back to work.

Tell a reliable coworker about it. It may be reassuring to have someone at work who is aware of your anxiety, and it may help alleviate some of the tension and dread that you are experiencing.

Use your time management skills. Getting better at managing one's time might help lessen some of the stress that one is feeling. If you're having trouble prioritizing your tasks, try utilizing a to-do list. These lists may also help you ensure that you provide sufficient time to complete each activity.

Work. Working may be a great way to enhance your social identity, as well as your sense of self-worth, in addition to providing you with much-needed financial support.

Disclosure to Your Employer

It is entirely up to you to decide whether or not you will let your employer know about the anxiety you experience while working. Perhaps you need special accommodations, or perhaps you want to inform others about the difficulties you are now facing.

People who are suitable for a job despite having a mental or physical handicap are protected from discrimination according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This may help protect you against discrimination in the workplace. If you have a condition that prohibits you from doing tasks that aren't necessary to your job, an employer cannot legally refuse to hire you as a result of your impairment.

According to Gruttadaro, it is crucial for employers to ensure that their staff members have access to mental health services and assistance in the event that they need it.

In addition to that, she recommends the following actions for companies to do in order to better assist their staff:

Educate both the working population and the management. According to Gruttadaro, "the more you make information on mental health issues like anxiety available to the public, the greater the likelihood that workers will feel psychologically comfortable in seeking therapy."

Incentivize staff members' participation in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Helping workers remember the advantages offered for their mental health is one thing that may be done. According to Gruttadaro, it's a smart move to make acknowledging worry as a typical experience and to encourage your staff to seek assistance when it's required.

Encourage supervisors to help workers dealing with anxiety by providing assistance. "This involves working with managers to develop ways for compassionate and empathic management. According to Gruttadaro, "this may not be something that comes readily to all managers." "Remind managers that providing a supportive work environment helps foster employee loyalty, devotion, and engagement to perform well for the business, which ultimately benefits everyone,"

According to Kissen, coming up with an accommodation that satisfies the requirements of both the employee and the employer is a situation in which everyone involved comes out ahead. For instance, if your supervisor gives you a number of assignments orally and you find it difficult to keep track of everything, you may ask your supervisor if it is feasible to get the chores by email as well and see if it helps.

"If you can have someone who is less burnt out and less worried, then everyone benefits," she adds, referring to both the employee and the company. "Perhaps there will be a little adjustment made to one of the roles. You could be doing something that you're decent at, but you actually do have another strength that you might find a way to capitalize on.