5 Ways To Deal With Anxiety At The Workplace
The need for collaboration, comes at a cost in the form of bias, disagreements, clash of values and conflict, which can take a toll on the mental health of the workforce.
Anxiety is one such outcome of a high-pressure, fast-paced work culture. It manifests differently for different people. Some are sweaty palms, shaking or trembling, fast heartbeat, indigestion, headaches, insomnia, and loss of appetite. It can also manifest cognitively with symptoms such as worries, racing thoughts, rumination, and loss of concentration. Stress might also appear as seemingly endless “what if?” questions. Anxiety is linked to fight-or-flight response and can help prepare for real threats. For example, a manager feeling anxious before an important presentation might review more data sources to prepare to answer likely questions from the board.
Five ways to manage anxiety
1. Time management
At the heart of the matter is efficient time management. Mastering the art of prioritizing tasks, using tools like the Eisenhower Box that distinguish between the urgent and essential, can infuse a sense of control into the workday, thus reducing stress.
2. Healthy communication
Secondly, an environment promoting open, transparent communication can be an antidote to workplace anxiety. When employees feel confident expressing their concerns and seeking clarifications, it eliminates the uncertainty that can breed fear. Leaders are crucial in fostering non-judgmental spaces encouraging dialogue, feedback, and a sense of community.
3. Regular Breaks
Integrating work with regular breaks forms the third strategy. Extensive research underscores the power of taking short, frequent breaks to rejuvenate the mind, enhancing productivity and sparking creativity. Rather than being seen as a diversion, these breaks become necessary rejuvenating intervals. By creating spaces that encourage downtime and advocating a culture that understands the necessity of rest, organizations can help employees manage their stress levels effectively.
4. Proactive Wellness
Wellness initiatives form the fourth pillar of this strategy. Incorporating programs emphasizing physical and mental wellness provides employees with resources to cope with workplace pressures. Facilitating regular exercise, promoting balanced diets, providing mindfulness exercises, and organizing stress management workshops can go a long way in managing workplace anxiety. By bringing these initiatives into the workplace culture, organizations can promote a healthier, more resilient workforce.
5. Mental Health Matters
Last but not least is providing professional mental health support resources. By creating channels for employees to access coaches, counsellors or therapists, organizations equip their workforce with adequate to prevent or manage anxiety.
Normalizing the conversation around mental health and providing confidential counselling services through employee assistance programs also help create a stigma-free environment, enabling employees to tackle their concerns head-on. Managing workplace anxiety requires a holistic approach that marries efficient time management, open communication, regular breaks, wellness initiatives, and professional mental health support. This collective effort, driven by both the organization and its employees, ensures the creation of a harmonious workplace that values balance and resilience as much as hard work and productivity.
