Anxiety at work is a widespread phenomenon and affects countless professionals, causing mental as well as emotional strain that could also have negative physical consequences. A little stress here and there is unavoidable in any job, but work anxiety takes it to the next level. This can lead to poor behaviors, lower productivity and a generally decrease in mental health. This post covers five types of symptoms in work anxiety, and how they are affecting on your business life.
Checking Email Long After Work Hours
Being unable to unplug outside of work is one sign that you are on the verge of becoming anxious at work. A lot of time you may get to know about your stress when compulsively checking add work email throughout the evening or night, weekends and even during vacations. The always-on requirement can form a circular stress pattern where your mind never fully discharges.
Being on all the time is exhausting for you and hard on your brain, but it also has an impact beyond yourselves not just with how well people work in the virtual room, but more importantly what they do when they step out of that call. If you believe that the faster you reply, the more valuable or lovable a person (or professional) is; it makes you respond within seconds at all hours; then maybe your delineation between personal life versus professional obligations is getting blurred. You must identify this tendency and not let any job shadow the most important thing in your life which is you.
Solution: Establishing Boundaries That might look like scheduling in very specific time slots throughout the evening where you let yourself check work emails, and then cutting it down to emergencies only. Doing all of this will help you to have control over your time again and decrease the anxiety.
Procrastination of Work Projects
Avoid procrastination- Procrastinating is another symptom of work anxiety. Ironically, procrastination is mostly based in the fear of not succeeding / being judged. Perfectionism, stress about deadlines and pressure can get in the way of finding your rhythm to start (or complete) tasks.
You end up spending hours procrastinating instead of just diving in and getting it done, making that project much more stressful than is necessary. It is a cycle in which procrastination evolves anxiety and vice versa lowering your performance, and self esteem.
Answer: How to avoid procrastination- breaking projects as much down into smaller tasks is good way. That way, doing things one step at a time not only makes specific tasks less intimidating but also eases the overall overwhelming feeling of accomplishing huge projects. Another best practice is to take periodic breaks and use time-management devices like the Pomodoro Technique or task lists. In opting for therapy, the anxiety allows more tools to manage these emotions.
Needing Constant Approval from Your Boss
Do you always need the approval of your boss or maybe colleagues, this can also be a sign! Error Message: This symptom causes these people to CONSTANTLY WORRY what others think of their performance. They could be afraid of doing something wrong or think they will get criticized if it is not perfect.
Wanting constructive criticism or praise is pretty typical but can spiral into an unhealthy habit for people with anxiety. This could mean questioning what you produce, reaching out for validation more than necessary or feeling inferior despite being told otherwise.
This is done by misbehaving usually because of a lack of self-confidence and this may lead to workplace dependence. This can also cause friction with your boss and coworkers, who will have the impression that you are reliant on them over time.
Solution: Self-confidence building tricks should be used to recover this anxiety of owning a show. Just one example is acknowledging your successes and celebrating them! It will give you a reality check, that my friend is hired for his skill and how good he is because no one can be praised all the time so stop seeking validation every now & then. Some may find it helpful to undergo therapy, wherein the exposure helps one to regain their confidence and work self-esteem. If you are dealing with too much anxiety due to work, consider receiving therapy.
Having a Hard Time Getting Yourself to Work
Major sign work anxiety that you can tell from the light of dreading to go o your job every single morning or getting yourself mentally prepare for fighting out in order not to show up. You may end up lying down on your bed scrolling through social media or doing something to distract yourself away from the fact that you need to get ready for work. Feeling overwhelmed is a symptom of an inherent fear about what the workday would entail — whether it be tasks that might lead to sensory overload, disagreements with peers or disparities in expectations from superiors.
This pattern can become a vicious circle, leading to long-term absence or even dismissal. As your ability to go to work dwindles so may your own anxiety about working. Eventually, this can develop into major psychological conditions like depression or burnout.
Answer: If you experience that kind of difficulty, handle what makes you anxious. Where is the pit in your stomach coming from after being contacted by a center? Do they have any unresolved issues or stressors? When you seek a therapist to help, they can offer perspective and solutions that make work seem less intimidating. Also, establishing a morning ritual where you can mentally and emotionally prepare will be helpful.
Avoiding Work Social Activities
Subzero: Ever have the urge to just dodge all work-related social events? From after-work drinks, team trip to lunch or office parties — you might be inclined to excuse yourself from any of these things. It is okay to be a slight introvert or needing some personal time, however continually skipping out on these because fear prevents you from attending regular sessions can stifle the growth of your professional self.
Work related social activities are a leading place where networking, bonding and informal learning occur. Not only could this leave you out of the loop with your colleagues, but it might also damage relationships and limit career opportunities. Also, there is the fear that meeting new people in an informal setting could be a case of impostor syndrome or social anxiety, thinking you are going to be judged.
Solution: You never need to go on any excursion, however constraining yourself from some of the work party chatter occasionally can help alleviate your anxiety after some time. Dip your toe into the culture pool with a team lunch. In time, you will also discover that the more often you engage dialogues like these at work, the better connected everyone in your office becomes and this can decrease how intimidated it feels there. So finally, if you are scared of even talking to the coworkers about I-Day planning and whatnot, well… maybe your therapist can help with social anxiety.
Conclusion
Work anxiety can appear in many forms, from being a people pleaser to dreading going out with colleagues after work. These symptoms do not just affect your workplace performance they can quickly start affecting how you approach life personally and before you know it, no one is benefitting from the extra work anymore as stress starts to build in what was previously a wonderful situation which both parties expanded significantly. If you are experiencing some of the most serious symptoms, it is important to intervene early.
Therapy can be an effective way for you to find ways to help manage your work anxiety and give you more control over how it impacts our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Therapy can help you develop healthier coping strategies for work, give you a more grounded sense of self-esteem as well as an understanding around setting boundaries.
If you are suffering from work anxiety, take the time to get professional help. All In The Family Counselling in Mississauga can give you therapy to overcome work anxiety and get your life back on track. Put your work anxiety to use: take the first step toward a more joyful, satisfying professional life.
