We all feel anxious at work sometimes, and for some, these emotions impact performance, relationships with coworkers and the quality of their work.
SHOW NOTES
On this episode of Crina and Kirsten Get to Work our terrific twosome analyze anxiety in the workplace.
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Anxiety can also be triggered after the fact, i.e. by a death, job loss. Anxiety can express itself as feeling nervous, jittery, sick to your stomach, jumpy, tired, irritable, dry mouth, sweaty and having difficulty sleeping – these are all signs of anxiety. And Crina explains that if you get sweaty, panty liners stuck to the inside of your jacket is an excellent solution.
And what causes it – what does not?!! Deadlines, conflicts at work, managing people, unclear expectations, and of course – a pandemic. Anxiety is prevalent among women at work. A study referenced in Mind Matters: Anxiety in the Workplace says 71% of women experience anxiety in the workplace.
How do we manage it and how do we know when we need help? Help may be just the thing if your anxiety interferes with your participation at work or in your life. If you avoid experiences because of anxiety or feel as if your suffering is not reasonable, get help from a licensed therapist or counselor.
Experts believe, in fact, that people may be hard-wired in the way they experience anxiety. Although scientists still don’t precisely understand the interactions among genetic, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors, research suggests that high anxiety tends to run in families.
And of course there are real COVID reasons for anxiety both in and outside of the workplace – women are on the front lines in healthcare (80% are women) and in women in social services (83% are women) according to Tina Tchen of Time’s Up – and there are real risks being on the frontlines. Covid also presents loves of uncertainties for all of us – what will returning to work be like, is it safe, will I catch it, is the information I am seeing in the news accurate, will I get a job in what will likely be a competitive market?
So what do we do:
- Work – people need meaningful work.
- Talk with a Friend you Trust – it usually make us feel better
- Be Organized and Prepare Yourself – when you are organized and prepared there is less to worry about
- Educate yourself about Anxiety – it will help you learn whether you need help to manage
- Ask for help – both inside and outside of work
- Stay organized. Filing and clearing your desk and computer desktop may rank low on your priority list, but they can save you time in the long run and may prevent a crisis later.
- Avoid toxic coworkers. Try to ignore negativity and gossip in your workplace.
- Take breaks. A walk around the block or a few minutes of deep breathing can help clear your head.
- Be Healthy – eat healthfully, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and limit caffeine and alcohol. Try to keep your body and mind in shape.
- Engage deeply in the here and now.
Check out these articles for more info
Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace
Mind Matters: Anxiety in the Workplace