“I seat at my desk head in hands and my already elevated heart rate goes higher with anxiety at the ring of the intercom.”
Is this you or can you relate to this? Work-related stress is anything but uncommon.
I’m not new to anxiety at work, especially working in toxic environments with power plays and just terrible managers who have no business managing anything in the first place. Most of my friends and family have also mentioned dealing with anxiety in the workplace.
Deadlines and working with difficult people are the biggest reported causes of work-related stress. Conflict in the workplace will elicit many different reactions. Some people love the drama, while others would rather hide under their desks until the commotion subsides. Regardless of whether or not you thrive on conflict, a lack of effective communication at your job can cause quite a bit of anxiety.
Navigating the workplace and executing tasks effectively can be even more difficult for individuals dealing with anxiety. In fact, anxiety, along with often co-occurring depression, is a leading cause of disability, research shows. Here are a few tips to handle anxiety at work:
1. Acknowledge The Anxiety
Everyone experiences anxiety, It is a response to stress. Let it in when it shows up. Practice acceptance. Rather than trying to push it away (which tends to be futile, resulting in feeling more overwhelmed and less in control), make room for anxiety. It is showing up to try to bring your attention to something. Address the anxiety and recognise what is making you anxious, this helps to either avoid these triggers or find ways to cope with them. Work with it also.
For instance, I hate having unchecked tasks so I use my anxiety to power through my tasks in the morning while I’m still energized and in the afternoon I go through the tasks again or just chill when I know my anxiety might be at the peak.
2. Prepare Adequately
Preparing adequately for a workday, presentation or event will help reduce your anxiety and stress. This helps you to take control of things and maybe predict things that might go wrong. Preparing adequately ensures that your nervousness and stress level is reduced hence reducing your anxiety. Prepare even the little things, your outfit, shoes, To-do list, work routine, transportation, etc. These seem like little things but they help a lot.
3. Arrive Early
Try to arrive at work and events early. Stress over potential lateness can leave you constantly on edge. If you do show up a few minutes late, you might feel irritated or angry, even when your lateness doesn’t matter all that much.
4. Be Positive
When I start my day saying today is going to be a shit day. It ends up being a shit day. But when I say it’s going to be a good day and I’m going to ensure it is a good day. The chances of me having a good day increase.
5. Learn To Say No
An overworked person is a stressed person, a stressed person is more susceptible to anxiety and burnout. Learn to say no, or learn to prioritize on a level of importance and organize tasks accordingly.
6. Take A Break
It is important that you give yourself a break every day. Dedicate a time of the day that’s for only you. If you can leave your desk, do so. Read a book, listen to a podcast, audiobook or music, just be for yourself for a period of the day.
Most importantly make sure you take a break at the end of the day. If you are working from home, close all the tabs and close from work. Leave all work at work. Physically and Metally. This helps your brain to recognise that this time is for you.
Avoid taking work calls, tasks or emails after work hours, respect your personal time as much as you respect your working hours.
7. Try To Take Control Of The Situation
You might sometimes find yourself in tough situations and dread facing someone or the situation, face it. Rather than passively dealing with the situation, take control and initiate the conversation. Suggest solutions or fix them before raising the problem to let you take control of the situation.
8. Get Professional Help For Your Anxiety
This is very important. Getting Help — If so, you have additional options to get help. Your first option is to seek treatment from a mental health professional.
If you are in Nigeria, Check out this Twitter thread for lots of helpful resources. –
Hey guys! So this is a thread of a few therapists in Nigeria and what they cost (I know fear of prices is what keeps a lot of people from seeking professional help) Please share and feel free to send me more therapists to add #MentalHealthAwareness#mentalhealthNigeria
Your HMOs also have mental health coverages so check them out. I know reliance has an option for this. Not sure about the effectiveness but you can check it out.
9. Leave The Situation
This is me. I have never exited an uncomfortable situation so fast. I once had to attend a work event for a week. On certain days, once I started feeling uncomfortable or my anxiety peaked, I left.
Toxic work environment, I leave, Toxic work colleagues, I reduce or avoid interactions.
The thing about anxiety is, it doesn’t let you say or do things you would want to do. It paralyzes you so when a boss is yelling or a colleague is being condescending you probably wouldn’t say what you want to. It turns you into a version of yourself you don’t recognise, and it sucks.
10. Make Sure You Eat
This might sound funny but it is very important. Always make sure you are well fed. Make sure you eat and take your fluids. If you are hungry or have no strength it is easy for the anxious feeling to overwhelm you.
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