Overcoming Workplace Anxiety: A Personal Guide

Introduction

If you're grappling with workplace anxiety, each day can feel like a tightrope walk between professional expectations and personal turmoil. From the moment you step into the office, a torrent of worries floods your mind—fear of making mistakes, concerns about meeting deadlines, and constant self-doubt about your abilities. Let's explore workplace anxiety together and find effective ways to manage and overcome it.

Understanding Workplace Anxiety

What is Workplace Anxiety?

Workplace anxiety involves fears and worries related to job performance, social interactions, and professional responsibilities. This anxiety isn't just a fleeting discomfort; it manifests physically, with tense muscles, racing hearts, and restless minds. The workplace, which should ideally be a space for growth and achievement, becomes a battleground where inner struggles threaten to overshadow productivity and confidence.

Recognising Symptoms

Physical Symptoms

• Tension: Constant tension in your muscles, especially in your neck, shoulders, and back.
• Fatigue: Feeling drained and exhausted, even after a full night's sleep.
• Headaches: Frequent headaches or migraines.
• Digestive Issues: Stomach problems, such as nausea or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Rapid Heartbeat: Experiencing a racing heart, even when sitting at your desk.

Mental and Emotional Symptoms

• Overwhelm: Feeling constantly overwhelmed by tasks, no matter how small.
• Irritability: Getting easily irritated or angry at little things.
• Fear of Judgment: Constant worry that your work isn’t good enough or that you're being judged harshly.
• Negative Self-Talk: Frequent thoughts like "I'm not good enough," or "I'm going to get fired."
• Imposter Syndrome: Feeling like a fraud, fearing that others will "find out" that you’re not as competent as you seem.

Behavioural Symptoms

• Procrastination: Delaying tasks out of fear of not doing them well enough.
• Avoidance: Avoiding meetings, phone calls, or interactions with certain colleagues.
• Perfectionism: Spending excessive time trying to perfect every detail, leading to missed deadlines.
• Withdrawal: Distancing yourself from social interactions at work, eating lunch alone, or avoiding after-work gatherings.

Cognitive Symptoms

• Difficulty Concentrating: Struggling to focus on tasks and frequently having your mind wander.
• Memory Issues: Forgetting important details or struggling to recall information during meetings.
• Indecisiveness: Finding it daunting and stressful to make decisions, even minor ones.

Common Thoughts of Anxious Sufferers

Typical Concerns

• "I'm not good enough for this job."
• "What if I make a mistake and everyone notices?"
• "I don't think I can handle this workload."
• "If I mess up, I'll lose my job."
• "I'm going to get fired if I don't perform perfectly."
• "My career will be ruined if I fail."
• "Everyone here is judging me."
• "I'm sure my colleagues think I'm incompetent."
• "I don't belong here; I'll never fit in."
• "I have to get everything exactly right."
• "If it's not perfect, it's not good enough."
• "I can't afford to make any mistakes."
• "This project is going to be a disaster."
• "I'll never be able to meet this deadline."
• "Everything is going to fall apart."
• "I don't deserve to be in this role."
• "I'm only here because of luck, not skill."
• "I'm fooling everyone into thinking I know what I'm doing."
• "There's so much to do; I'll never catch up."
• "I don't know where to start; it's all too much."
• "I'm drowning in work, and I can't keep up."

Impact on Daily Life

Professional Strain

Workplace anxiety can place significant strain on your professional life, leading to decreased productivity, missed deadlines, and conflicts with colleagues.

Personal Strain

The stress and exhaustion from workplace anxiety can spill over into your personal life, affecting relationships with family and friends and reducing your overall quality of life.

Physical and Emotional Exhaustion

The constant state of anxiety can lead to physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue, as well as emotional symptoms like irritability and depression.

Steps to Overcoming Workplace Anxiety

Embrace New Behaviours

To escape the anxiety trap, you must learn new, non-anxious behaviours. This involves reprogramming your subconscious mind through consistent, conscious effort. It's not easy, but it's possible with the right guidance and support.

Practice Diversion Techniques

One effective strategy is diversion—engaging in activities that shift your focus away from anxiety. This helps your subconscious mind adopt new, positive behaviours, reducing anxiety over time. Engaging in hobbies and staying active can significantly help in managing workplace anxiety.

Finding Support and Staying Committed

Remember, recovery is a journey, not a destination. Surround yourself with supportive people and resources.

Conclusion

Workplace anxiety is challenging, but with determination and the right approach, you can regain control of your professional and personal life. I'm here to guide you every step of the way.

If these experiences resonate with you, it’s important to recognise that you might be suffering from Workplace anxiety. The Anxiety Project recovery methodology creates fast, simple, and lifelong, drug-free, anxiety disorder recovery. It is the world's first and only accredited, evidence-based, psycho-educational recovery treatment.