It’s not uncommon to be stressed at work or feel anxious when you think about work. Workplace anxiety is real, and it affects many Americans today.
According to a 2021 workplace mental health report, over 80% of the respondents were emotionally drained and felt their mental health was affected by work-related stress.
When you consider the pressure and demands of the modern work environment, it’s easy to see why anxiety is becoming a major problem in the workplace.
But what can you do to ensure you remain productive at work without compromising your mental health?
The solution lies in managing anxiety in the workplace and creating a healthy environment for your mental well-being.
Here are tips for anxiety management while at work.
1. Find Out What it’s About
There’s a small but crucial difference between anxiety at work Anxiety Disorder.
Do you only feel anxious at the workplace or performing job-related tasks?
If your anxiety seems to kick in at work and other places, you may have an anxiety disorder, which is not the same as work-related anxiety.
Putting a name to what you’re experiencing enables you to respond effectively. If you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder that has little to do with work, making changes at the workplace won’t address the issue.
2. Identify the Problem
When you’re sure you’re dealing with workplace anxiety or job stress, it becomes important to identify the problem and address it.
Many things can trigger anxiety at work. Try identifying the root cause of your work worries, which may range from workload and unclear expectations to job security and challenging surroundings.
When it becomes clear what’s happening, you can start working towards a solution.
3. Get Organized
If the cause of your anxiety is the work itself and not external factors like coworkers, being more organized can be a huge help.
Organizing your workspace and tasks allows your mind to follow a pattern instead of operating in chaos. You could argue that being more organized won’t reduce your workload, but it can make it easier to plan and perform these tasks.
You’ll most likely come up with a way to make your time better and complete tasks according to their priority level.
4. Set Boundaries
We all function better when we set healthy boundaries for ourselves and other people interacting with us daily.
If you’ve not set boundaries for yourself in terms of how you work, like when to start and get off work, you may overburden yourself or become less productive.
Perhaps you allow yourself to take on other people’s responsibilities or put up with unhealthy behavior. Setting healthy boundaries will remove these work-related stressors.
5. Talk to Someone
Talking helps, and it could be all you need to lay down your worries. Since it’s a workplace issue, you could talk to your superior about it if that can help.
Your coworkers can also be instrumental in helping you deal with your anxiety. Maybe someone in your team had a similar problem and managed to address it.
6. Consider Treatment
If it becomes challenging to cope with anxiety in the workplace, you can consider treatment. Medications like alprazolam and lorazepam can help relieve your symptoms.
Alternatively, you could consider medical cannabis for relieving stress and anxiety. It’s a powerful herb that doesn’t possess side effects similar to what you see with prolonged use of pharmaceuticals.
You can get medical marijuana if it is legal in your state, which most states are.
First, you’ll need to consult a medical marijuana doctor. A search query like medical marijuana doctors around me will provide you with more information.
7. Prioritize Self Care
Self care is crucial for your physical and mental health.
In a work environment that’s getting more demanding, you need to take good care of yourself every time you get off work.
Allow your mind to refresh and reset by getting enough rest, working out, and engaging in things you love when you’re not working.
By practicing self care through healthy lifestyle choices, you’ll be better positioned to manage stress.
Final Thoughts
When anxiety is tied to your workplace, it doesn’t just affect your mental well-being but your job performance as well. It doesn’t have to affect your life negatively, and you can ensure that doesn’t happen by implementing strategies to effectively control and eliminate workplace anxiety.