Overcoming Stress and Anxiety at Work

Ever feel overwhelmed, anxious or irritable because of work? Maybe it’s a ridiculous question. Some level of workplace stress and anxiety is normal in any job.

But Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report shows that stress is at an all-time high with 44% of employees reporting that they regularly experience stress at work. And it’s this persistent stress that is concerning.

Stress and anxiety are not the same thing, although they can have many of the same symptoms – tenseness, moodiness, nervousness, agitation, nausea, sweating. Stress triggers are often short-term, such as a tight deadline, a disagreement with someone, or nerves before a big presentation. But they can also be long-term such as regularly working with a demanding person, having little control over your work, or feeling unappreciated or even discriminated against.

Anxiety on the other hand is excessive, persistent worry, leading to sleep loss, difficulty concentrating or feelings of dread or irritability – even when the stressor is gone.

Stress is a major contributor to anxiety. Take time to examine the cause of your stress and if there are things you can do to minimize it.  

Learn more about Coping With Workplace Stress by enrolling in our upcoming live, virtual seminar today.

What can you do to keep mild stress and anxiety from building?

1. Be healthy. Getting plenty of sleep, exercising, and eating a nutritious, varied diet is important because stress places a greater demand on the body for oxygen, energy and nutrients. But stress and the situations that trigger it can actually cause cravings for unhealthy foods, disrupt sleep and limit our time for exercise, leading to a vicious cycle – keeping us from getting the things that can help our bodies best handle stress.
2. Practice assertive, respectful communication. Your feelings, needs and opinions matter and being able to express them diplomatically without being too passive or too aggressive will help you feel more in control. Hitting the right tone on assertiveness can take practice. But the payoff will come in more positive work relationships.
3. Get feedback, reduce uncertainty and keep growing. Not knowing where you stand at work or feeling unappreciated can be frustrating. Most of us strive to do a good job and want to keep moving forward. If your boss isn’t forthcoming with feedback or showing appreciation, you can help get a dialogue started. Thank them when they give a compliment; tell them how it makes you feel appreciated. Ask “How could I have done things differently or better?” to start a discussion. Listen carefully to constructive criticism and stay open-minded.
4. Avoiding negativity and gossip. Stress is contagious. The same human quality that makes it easy for us to empathize and understand someone else’s emotions (mirror neurons) also makes it easy for us to get caught up in those emotions. Consider your interactions with people who are always stressed out or angry. If their concerns are causing you to second-guess yourself or worry, how can you stay more aloof or draw a line?
5. Manage perfectionism. Trapping yourself by feeling that everything is important and must be “just right” can lead you to become needlessly stressed. Instead, get clarity on what the results of your projects should look like, rather than setting an unnecessarily high bar. 
6. Set boundaries for yourself. Working weekends, responding to messages at all hours, working through lunch, and saying “yes” even when you know you don’t have time are all common causes of workplace stress. If your needs regularly take a back burner, this can lead to feeling overworked, which  is one of the most common boundary-related problems for people today. If this is hard for you or you’re in an environment where someone pushes these boundaries, be consistent, clear, and polite when you stand up for yourself.
7. Celebrate your wins. Make time to savor your successes when they happen.

Take control of lowering your stress and anxiety at work before they build. Healthy habits, assertive communication and boundary setting – take time to examine how you function at work, how you deal with others, and what you can do to make your days and workflow less stressful.