Mental Health Check: 5 tips to follow when you're dealing with work anxiety

 Most of the times, we just can’t stop worrying! Especially when it comes to our work life. In 2020, according to a report by ADP, 7 out of 10 Indian professionals experience work stress on a regular basis. The report also stated that the work stress that the Indian workforce faces is higher than what the entire Asia-Pacific faces on an average, which accounted for 60%.

At least once in our professional life, we must have heard our colleagues or friends rant about the lack of work-life balance and talk about ‘work anxiety ruining my life.' Well, this has become a common phenomenon and yet we brush this topic under the carpet quite often.

For the unversed, work anxiety is the stress that is caused by our professional lives that lead us to unease. If someone is already suffering from an anxiety disorder, they are more likely to face it at work too. Either way, this problem can have negative repercussions. And, to avoid the same, it is important to address this issue by acknowledging it as a real problem and then identifying your colleagues by their work anxiety symptoms in order to help them.


Work Anxiety Symptoms

While different people will face different symptoms, the common work anxiety symptoms are:

• Losing interest in work

• Having trouble remembering things or concentrating

• Trouble in sleeping

• You will feel anxious about most of the things

• Feeling tense, tired, irritable and jittery

• Constant crying and worrying

• Avoiding family and friends

• Exaggerated startle reactions

• Feeling a lump in the throat

• Racing heart

If you know someone who is showing these symptoms and talk about – 'work anxiety ruining my life', know that they are going through work anxiety and help them take it easy.

Work Anxiety Causes

Before we share tips to deal with anxiety at work, let’s understand what causes it.

• Workplace conflicts or bullying

• The pressure of maintaining good relations with co-workers

• Meeting deadlines

• Demanding boss

• Long working hours

• Managing staff

• Overly-high workload

• Lack of direction in terms of tasks

• Lack of control over our work environment

• Experiencing unfairness

• Low reward or appreciation
  
  

5 Tips To Deal With Anxiety At Work

While we all can support each other in this, we also need to take care of ourselves so that work anxiety doesn’t pull us down. So, we have come up with 5 tips to deal with anxiety at work. Go through them and inculcate them in your daily lives because work is just a part of our life, not the entire life!

1. Know The Names

   Having solid one-on-one relationships will help you a great deal in the office. And that starts with knowing their names and building individual relationships with each of them. Forgot their names? Don’t shy away from asking again. Keep trying to build stronger relationships at the office. This way, if you have a problem with an individual, you can share the same with them instead of venting out in front of everyone but them.
   
   

2. Need Help? Ask For It

   For various reasons, we often say yes to the things that either we don’t have the bandwidth for or don’t even know how to do. This causes us stress or anxiety. In that case, don’t feel any discomfort in seeking help. In the long run, it will help you in not being scared of taking responsibilities or doing them right. Also, when you ask for help, it signals that you are dedicated to your job and no matter if they show it or not, our superiors appreciate it.
   
   

3. Avoid The Triangle

   Bonding with one person over gossiping about another person is known as a ‘triangle’. One of the most useful tips to deal with anxiety at work is to steer clear from gossips. Even though it will provide you with entertainment or temporary relief, it will build even more stress in you. You will feel the negativity in the air which is not good for you if you are dealing with work anxiety. This certainly is not a great way to manage work anxiety. Examples of a triangle can be using someone as a scapegoat, criticizing someone, or gossiping about them.
   
   

4. Set Realistic Deadlines

   We know, we know. When the boss says, you have to do it! But saying yes to impossible deadlines won’t just cause you work anxiety but it would also affect your performance if you fail to meet the deadline. Hence, it is better to be upfront than to regret it later. We agree that not all deadlines are negotiable. But try to push the ones that you can. In that case, if you complete your work ahead of time, you will garner appreciation.
   
   

5. Use Calming & Neutral Language

   Treat others the way you want to be treated. Practice using calming and neutral language at work. This won’t just bring your but everyone’s anxiety levels down. If you ask for others’ opinions too when giving yours, even disagreements become more manageable. If you give others a chance to share their opinions, they too will listen to yours with an open heart and mind.

Conclusion

If you are experiencing work anxiety, don’t take it lightly and take professional help. Your health – mental as well as physical - is of paramount importance. Everything comes after it! While undiagnosed anxiety might have devastating effects, stress at work can escalate it further. Hence, ensure that you reach out to your mental health professional or employer to seek help.

A lot of us, also feel stressed out about the future. This is when Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Guarantee Plus (UIN No.: 110N158V01) comes to your rescue. Our plan comes with the single-payout option. It also provides you with a life cover and tax^*-free guaranteed¹ returns. So, keep future worries at bay with the Tata AIA Life Insurance Fortune Guarantee Plus plan (UIN-110N158V02)

L&C/Advt/2022/Feb/0244