Anxiety can affect every aspect of our lives, including our employment, and if workplace anxiety isn’t properly managed, it has the potential to negatively impact our careers and our own self-view.
For example, if a promotion would require you to interact more with clients, give more presentations, or take more business trips—and you feel stressed at the prospect of having to take on those tasks—you may be more likely to turn down the advancement (as well as the salary increase that would accompany it). Likewise, if you have social anxiety, you may be less likely to chat with your coworkers in the break room and attend office parties, which could prevent you from building a valuable network.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to manage anxiety in the workplace. If you regularly experience anxiety while you’re at work, you may want to try:
- Keeping your desk, your computer desktop, and your email inbox organized and free of clutter
- Making prioritized to-do lists and scheduling enough time to complete each of your tasks
- Letting your coworkers know if you don’t have the bandwidth to take on additional work
- Asking for help when you begin feeling overwhelmed
- Avoiding checking work emails and voicemails after business hours
- Scheduling vacation time (even if you don’t have travel plans, a staycation can help you relax and clear your mind)
- Taking quick breaks whenever you start to feel anxious (for example, performing breathing exercises at your desk or taking a walk around the building)
- Leading a healthy lifestyle (for example, eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of fluids, exercising, and getting enough sleep each night)
- Offering yourself grace and kindness
- Bringing an item–or items–into your workspace for you to look at/focus on to ground yourself back to the moment
Learn More About Anxiety Management
If you’re struggling to manage your anxiety at work, at home, or in other aspects of your life, we can support you. We therapists have extensive experience treating anxiety, and we can provide you with opportunities to process and receive feedback that’s tailored to your specific circumstances. Contact us today to learn more about our practice and schedule a free consultation prior to the first therapy session.
