Dealing with an anxiety disorder at work can have a significant negative impact on your career. Maybe you turn down a promotion because you fear the additional pressure placed on you by assuming more responsibility. Perhaps a conflict with a co-worker explodes into an office battle for everyone to see. Do you make excuses to get out of attending social events held outside the workplace?
Workplace anxiety can be a career changer, and not for the better. Undergoing adult therapy that focuses on the issues that trigger your anxiety can help you cope with anxious moments.
In a national research study conducted on workplace anxiety, employees that live with an anxiety disorder mentioned several obstacles such as meeting deadlines and maintaining personal relationships that are difficult to do because of anxiety symptoms.
Let’s see how you can deal with work anxiety.
Discuss the Issues with Your Manager
Not every worker feels confident enough to speak with a manager to discuss anxiety issues, but opening up to your manager might lead to a few solutions that help you cope with stressful workplace situations. Your manager might refer you to the company human resources manager to determine whether you qualify to receive workplace accommodations as mentioned in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Let a Trusted Professional Peer Know
Not every employee has developed a level of trust with a manager to reveal sensitive information such as dealing with anxiety at work. Telling a trusted co-worker about what you are dealing with at least gives you peace of mind knowing that you have support outside of attending family therapy sessions. Family therapy allows you to work on your work anxiety issues with the support of your family.
Know Your Limitations
One of the biggest hurdles to get over for professionals that suffer from an acute anxiety disorder concerns understanding how to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. Knowing your limitations can help you deal with anxiety symptoms in the workplace. For example, if working on multiple projects at the same time causes you to stress out, change the game plan and break down one project into smaller steps, and then finish the one project before you move on to another project.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
You have many strategies that you can use to combat the negative symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Some employees listen to music at work to relax and concentrate on the matter at hand. Taking a walk during a break is great therapy for the brain by slowing it down and removing negative thoughts. Whenever you feel an anxiety attack coming on, take a break from what you are doing and close your eyes to focus on something else.When the negative emotions associated with an anxiety disorder begin to come to the surface, know that you have several tools including adult therapy to diminish the impact of the negative emotions on your career.
