5 Tips to Manage Job Anxiety

Did you know that nearly 90 percent of Americans report higher stress on the job? This could mean much more than a physical workplace. In today’s economy, your “job” can take many forms. However, in all its guises, what you do to earn income typically brings with it a fair amount of anxiety.

Of course, considering how common anxiety disorders are, you may also feel stressed elsewhere. So, it’s essential to identify your triggers and underlying causes. That said, if you are currently feeling anxiety at work, this must be addressed, managed, and reduced. Let’s dive in and learn more.

Common Causes of Job Anxiety

Needless to say, each person (and every job) will entail some unique factors and scenarios. Even so, job anxiety does tend to arise from a handful of general foundations. For example:

• The work itself can counter your values or be dull and unsatisfying.
• There can be elements from which anxiety arises, e.g., insufficient salary, long commute, no chance for advancement, and having conflicts with co-workers, management, customers, etc.
• High pressure in the form of long hours, tight deadlines, being micro-managed, and overworked.
• The workplace is overrun with gossip, cliques, and unhealthy interactions.
• You have so many dreams and plans you’d instead be pursuing.

Sometimes, all it takes is for one of these factors to be present. From there, the stress spreads silently but steadily.

Common Signs of Job Anxiety

You feel overwhelmed and stressed, but how can you be sure your job is the source? You’ll probably need outside help to pinpoint such cause and effect. But, in the meantime, there are red flags to look for:

• You either talk about the negative aspects of your job constantly or consciously avoid the topic to avoid adding more stress to your day.
• Not a day passes without you thinking about quitting.
• Workplace stress and anxiety are continuing to impact daily life in terms of sleep patterns, mood, aches and pains, and loss of concentration.
• Thinking about your job provokes sadness, resentment, dread, and/or anger.

So, what can you do?

5 Tips to Manage Job Anxiety

1. Identify Patterns and Triggers

To avoid getting caught in a cycle of events and emotional reactions, it’s essential to accept that something has to change. Recognize the presence of anxiety and get busy identifying how and why this is happening. This is an ideal way to discern if you’re bringing anxiety to your workplace or if your job is a primary catalyst.

2. Stay Organized

Anyone trying to cope with anxiety, regardless of the specific location, can benefit from taking decisive preventative steps. At work, for example, the more organized you are, the less likely stress is to lead to a meltdown. So, while you work on the root causes, make your daily life less anxious by developing positive skills like good time management, delegating when necessary, and keeping your work area free of clutter.

3. Avoid Office Gossip Drama

Being involved in office politics is a one-way ticket to anxiety. Instead, lead by example by communicating healthily and resisting the urge to criticize and judge.

4. Self-Care

When you work with an experienced therapist, they can help you develop tools that reduce the odds of anxious spirals being the norm at work. From breathing exercises to lunchtime walks and beyond, self-care builds the resilience you need to deal with anxiety while you address the sources.

5. Talk to Management

There are definitely times when workplace anxiety is directly caused by workplace conditions. Therefore, rather than gossiping or griping, take official steps to address such conditions with management.

Remember, anxiety can be a diagnosable disorder. If it is overwhelming your work life, reach out to learn more about anxiety therapy.