Stage Fright: How Real Is Workplace Anxiety and How Can We Beat It?

By Moon Harper

Jul 05, 2024 11:01 AM EDT

A photo of an anxious worker — (Photo : Pexels/Photo by energepic.com)

Have you ever found yourself getting nervous just thinking about the report you are going to present to the team? Or have you ever felt anxious about answering Zoom calls? That's what work anxiety feels like to some.

According to Mind the Workplace report, over 83% of respondents reported feeling emotionally drained from their work, and 85%, or nearly 9 in 10 workers, reported that job stress affected their mental health.

What Is Workplace Anxiety?

Workplace anxiety, also referred to as job-related anxiety or occupational anxiety, is a disorder that affects individuals in their job or work environment, which brings excessive worry, fear, or stress triggered by factors like workload, job insecurity, interpersonal conflicts, and performance expectations.

While workplace anxiety is common, it is an often overlooked mental health issue affecting people across different industries and job functions, says Dr. Jyoti Kapoor, Founder-Director and Senior Psychiatrist at Manasthali, speaking with Hindustan Times. This kind of anxiety involves emotional distress and unease due to the demands, pressures, and expectations of the work environment, which can later take a toll on individuals' well-being and productivity.

A Workplace Anxiety or Anxiety at Work?

While it can be challenging to distinguish between workplace anxiety and the symptoms of an anxiety disorder, Annia Palacios, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with Tightrope Therapy, identifies several key signs of workplace anxiety:

On your days off, you feel significantly better, and your anxiety decreases.
You experience anxiety and dread over the weekend, especially when thinking about work.
You find communicating with colleagues in a competitive work environment challenging but have no difficulty chatting with others outside of work.

So, how do you know if you have an anxiety condition? Compared to simple workplace anxiety, symptoms of anxiety disorders are "persistent, consistent, and negatively affect several aspects of your life," said Emme Smith, a licensed psychotherapist and CEO of GraySpace Counseling Group.

Tips to Combat Anxiety at Work

Here are some tips for coping with workplace anxiety, according to Marla Deibler, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia:

1. Redefine How You Live

Individuals with anxiety should engage fully in life despite experiencing anxiety. Accepting and experiencing one's thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations while continuing to pursue meaningful activities can help reduce the struggle with anxiety.

2. Let Anxiety Creep In

Everyone experiences anxiety as a natural response to stress. Embracing it when it arises, rather than attempting to suppress it, can lead to feeling more overwhelmed and less in control. Deibler suggests it can become less disruptive over time by making room for anxiety and allowing it to exist alongside your work.

3. Confront Anxiety Head-on

Expose yourself to confront anxiety-inducing situations to tell yourself you can persevere and succeed despite anxiety. Exposing yourself to these situations rather than avoiding them can alter your relationship with anxiety and boost your confidence in handling them effectively.

4. Practice Self-Care

Attend to your personal feelings and adopt healthy lifestyle practices like nutrition, sleep, and exercise for overall well-being, resilience, and effective stress management.

5. Seek Professional Help

Without professional assistance, it can be challenging to manage anxiety. Clinical psychologists are professionals who can help individuals understand and adjust how their thoughts and feelings are perceived. Colleagues and employers who are concerned can also take a part in helping the individual express their feelings, normalizing their experience, and encouraging them to seek help.