Work Anxiety
“When I am working and start to feel very uncomfortable, I have to stop and take a moment to look around. I will often notice that I am feeling as though something is going to happen. That might be because I am falling behind on getting something done or because I won’t be able to do it right in the first place.”
~ Anxious in Atlanta
When you have acute anxiety, it comes quickly and can leave just as quickly. Some of it is “good” stress, also called eustress. This is the stuff that happens when we are in competition with our friends, for example. This is the type of stress that makes us do better than we otherwise would. Alternatively, we have distress. This is the one we tend to notice more frequently. This happens when we have an overdue paper or we are late for work.
These types of quick, daily anxiety moments are common to all of us. We generally get them resolved in one manner or another fairly rapidly. On the other hand, some of us have the type of long-term chronic anxiety that lingers to the point where it colors all of our perceptions and interactions. This feeling of nervousness or dread can be a low-level sensation tugging at the back of our mind or something that is shouting at us that bad things are coming now.
Recognizing that you are an anxious person can be an important first step towards learning how to work with it and through it. This involves getting over the idea of what “should” be. I know that I shouldn’t be nervous, but since it always shows up, it would make more sense to accept that it is a fact of my life. There are genetic components to anxiety. Some of us will just be more prone to bouts of anxiety. With that in mind, we can focus on learning to cope with it better rather than wasting energy hoping it will eventually stop.
Learn to acknowledge the feeling when it is present. Listening to our bodies is important. We have a gut instinct. It’s there for a reason. All of our emotions serve a purpose. That is why we still have them and they have not evolved out of us. When you pay attention to your body, you will notice the signals of anxiety. These include changes in breathing, perspiration, tightness in your chest and in other muscles. You may notice racing thoughts or being distracted. When this happens take a moment to look for the reason why. Just because you are more prone to anxiety doesn’t mean it’s not valid at times. This will let you know if it is a good idea to trust it or if it’s distracting you from enjoying your life.
Develop solid coping skills during quiet times. When you were a kid, when did you practice fire drills in school? It wasn’t when there was a fire. Nope, it was during quiet parts of the day when everyone was able to listen and pay attention. The same rules apply here. Practice the skills necessary to work through the anxiety when the levels are lower or nonexistent. This means exercise, deep breathing, changing the thoughts you have during those anxious moments or connecting with someone for support. The more you practice these coping skills, the more instinctual they will become.
Discover your triggers. Sometimes, we just won’t know where the anxiety is coming from. People are consistent though. If you look at the situation you are in (time, place, who you are with, etc) you will begin to see patterns emerge. All of a sudden it will go from “I don’t know where it comes from” to “I notice that, when I talk to my boss, I am nervous for about an hour afterwards.” At that point, you can begin to find ways to prepare for those triggers and even eliminate them as a source of anxiety.
I hope that these tips will get you off on the right foot. Many articles and studies have been written about anxiety. These are just a few mindset elements to get you started. I hope this leads to your Better Future!
Thanks!
Tip #1: Recognizing that you are an anxious person can be an important first step towards learning how to work with it and through it
Tip #2: Learn to acknowledge the feeling when it is present.
Tip #3: Develop solid coping skills during quiet times.
Tip #4: Discover your triggers.