According to Mental Health America’s 2021 Mind the Workplace report, almost 83% of respondents felt emotionally drained from their work. 85% said that their job stress affected their mental health. Today’s episode addresses workplace stress and anxiety.
We discuss:
By the end of this episode, my hope is that you come away calmer - more in control of your mind, your anxiety - and your career.
According to Mental Health America’s 2021 Mind the Workplace report, almost 83% of respondents felt emotionally drained from their work. 85% said that their job stress affected their mental health. Today’s episode addresses workplace stress and anxiety.
We discuss:
By the end of this episode, my hope is that you come away calmer - more in control of your mind, your anxiety - and your career.
When we set out to build our career, we strive to do something meaningful. We’re seeking growth and fulfillment. So why is it that so many people experience stress and anxiety in the workplace?
Do you feel anxiety when you think of work?
If you do, you’re not alone.
According to Mental Health America’s 2021 Mind the Workplace report, almost 83% of respondents felt emotionally drained from their work. 85% said that their job stress affected their mental health.
Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) supports these findings. Its annual Stress in America survey consistently cites work as a significant source of stress.
In today’s episode I’m going to talk about stress and anxiety. What it looks like at work and why we experience it. I’m also going to discuss strategies for coping with anxiety at work.
By the end of this episode, I’m hoping that you’re going to feel calmer - more in control of your mind, your anxiety - and your career.
Are you ready? Let’s do this.
It’s important to know that you are supposed to experience some degree of stress at work. It’s normal to have stress at work. Think about it: Managing relationships, performing well, developing new skills and problem solving - these are all sources of discomfort. They all present an element of workplace stress that is healthy; stress is an essential component of intellectual and emotional growth.
Too much stress, though, is harmful. Excessive stress interferes with your functioning and affects your physical and mental health. Some warning signs of harmful work stress include:
Anxiety is a person’s specific reaction to stress. When you’re anxious, you have persistent, excessive worries. Symptoms of workplace anxiety include:
There are stress triggers that are unique to the workplace, like dealing with an excessive workload, not having enough support on the job, feeling a lack of control over job-related decisions, dealing with challenging relationships. All these things - these triggers - can lead to anxiety in the workplace.
I want to share 4 ways to cope with anxiety in a high stress work environment:
The first is to Reassure your brain.
Natalie Goldberg - she’s an American author has a great quote about stress. She says, “Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important.”
This quote ties in so nicely to how our brain reacts to stress.
Our brain follows the rules of the motivational triad; its job is to (1) seek pleasure, (2) avoid pain and (3) be efficient.
So, if we’re feeling discomfort, our brain isn’t happy. And, in the name of seeking pleasure and efficiency, our brain instinctively doesn’t want us to do difficult, challenging things. It sees these things as a problem.
Anxiety flares when a part of the brain, the amygdala, senses trouble.
In the workplace, “trouble” can manifest in situations that challenge us, like preparing an important presentation or receiving performance feedback. When the amygdala perceives a threat, real or imagined, it releases cortisol (the “stress hormone”) and adrenaline to make the body stronger, faster and more powerful.
The amygdala is considered the “emotional” part of the brain. Neuroscientists explain that we feel anxiety when signals from the emotional brain overpower our cognitive brain - our prefrontal cortex - where our higher-level thinking occurs.
The first step to managing anxiety is recognizing its symptoms and understanding that our brain is only trying to help us stay safe. Pausing to acknowledge this triggers the rational, cognitive portion of our brain. This can be as simple as saying:
“Thanks, brain. I’ve got this.”
Or -
“I see what you’re doing, brain, and appreciate that you’re trying to protect me. Everything is under control.”
Consciously calling upon rational thought can rein in feelings of anxiety as you face challenges at work.
2. Identify your thoughts.
“If you listen to any thought long enough, it becomes part of your personal playlist.” - Jon Acuff
In previous episodes I’ve discussed the fact that our thoughts create our feelings. Those things that we say to ourselves - that we repeat in our brain - they generate emotions within us.
Anxiety stems from thoughts playing on “repeat” in our heads. There’s this book by Jon Acuff - I love it. It’s so good. It’s called “Soundtracks: The Surprising S’s olution to Overthinking”. It it, Acuff stresses the importance of documenting your thoughts - and, in particular, documenting the thoughts that create feelings of distress. He then suggests examining each thought and asking:
Really ask yourself that. Is the thought you’re feeling true? Is it a fact? If you’re telling yourself, “I can’t do anything right!” Is that really true? I’ll tell you, no. That thought is definitely not true - not a fact. I know that you do plenty of things right.
Then ask:
Is the thought “I can’t do anything right?” helpful. No. It’s not. So why are you thinking it?
And, finally:
So the thought, “I can’t do anything right.” is not true. It’s not helpful. And it’s not kind. So maybe, you shouldn’t have it on blast - on repeat - in your head!
You can see now this exercise puts the rational, analytical portion of your brain in control. It helps “dial down” the negative thoughts that trigger anxiety.
Tracking your negative thoughts - writing them down - and doing this exercise - helps remove the emotional component of your thoughts so you can treat them as data and examine them with curiosity.
The third strategy is:
3. Set boundaries.
The very wise, legendary Dolly Parton said, “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
Job-related anxiety won’t dissipate if you work around the clock. The solution? Don’t bring work home with you. I understand that this may be easier said than done in today’s current work environment. Boundaries between home and office blurred like they never have been before. We have hybrid work, we have remote work… Our work has been brought into our home.
This means you’re going to have to put extra effort into boundary-setting strategies
Establishing clear boundaries creates room for fulfilling experiences outside the workplace and diffuses the pressure of work obligations.
4. Call in your support system.
“Ask for help not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong.” - Les Brown
You don’t have to face anxiety alone. Talk to your close friends and family about what you’re experiencing. They may be able to give you the support you need. If you’ve determined the origin of your work stress, meet with your supervisor to discuss potential solutions. Your organization may also have resources to help you cope with your stress.
Career strategists are often able to identify and rectify sources of career stress, particularly if your role is in conflict with your strengths or core values.
Seek the support of a therapist, psychologist or other mental health professional if your anxiety is crippling your physical and emotional health.
To recap, 4 strategies to help you cope with anxiety at work are:
How are you all feeling now? My hope is that your heart rate has calmed down a bit, you’re breathing more deeply, your brain feels a little clearer. I hope you’re feeling more “zen” right now than you were before you touched PLAY on this episode.
I want you to enjoy yourself - both in and out of the workplace. Until we get together again next time, take good care and know that I’m cheering you on!