Felling anxiousness at work. Who hasn’t gone through it?
Nonetheless, an expert advises that you may have a problem if your anxiety is so severe that it interferes with your performance or lasts for months. Executive vice chair Dr. Asim Shah of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston’s Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences discusses what causes anxiety at work, how to deal with it, and when to get help from a professional.
The idea is not to suffer or allow anxiety to interfere with your ability to do your job. Sixty percent of people report feeling anxious at work. You can take action because it is common, according to Shah. An overbearing supervisor, grumpy coworkers, little, tedious chores, or daunting big projects can all contribute to workplace anxiety.
How to manage stress?
To manage it and help to reduce stress, Shah recommends: Break your tasks into small pieces Set small goals throughout the work week and congratulate yourself for reaching them Express your emotions. Journal how you feel. Talk, laugh or cry with someone you confide in Start healthy habits and do things you enjoy Work within your limits. Set boundaries with your workload.
Symptoms
If you have anxiety at work, you may see symptoms such as:
- Being very tense or nervous.
- Feeling a lot of perspiration or shaking.
- Being fixated on a task.
- Being uninterested in what you’re doing.
According to a Baylor news release, Shah stated, “The anxiety becomes so overwhelming that you are unable to focus and concentrate.” “These emotions may hinder your regular job duties.” Shah stated that it could be time to get professional assistance if it persists for longer than six months.
You can seek support through an employee assistance program offered by certain employers. For your workplace anxiety, you can also look into medication management or begin talking to a therapist through psychotherapy,” he suggested.
