Typically working adults spend around 8-10 hours or more at the office. The cut-throat competition and demanding work pressure result in elevated anxiety levels and stress. When you are able to deal with the situation properly, it ceases to be a problem. Learn a few ways how to deal with it.
Tips to Deal with Anxiety at Work
Contrary to popular belief, learning to effectively counter work related anxiety and stress is not a complex process. All that is required is to instill a sense of self-discipline and change or modify certain behaviors.
1. Sleep and follow a healthy diet regimen
Proper sleep is essential to boost brain functioning and have a fully fit body. A good night’s sleep helps coordinate your activities well and take decisions with clarity. Hence, it is advisable to sleep at least for a minimum of 7 to 8 hours at night. Sleeping well not only helps improve your body’s metabolism but also makes you feel fresh and full of energy.
Apart from sleeping well, you must take a balanced and controlled diet to compliment your health. If you are in the habit of skipping meals or having them at irregular intervals, chances are high that such habits are directly contributing to increased anxiety and stress levels at work. Eating junk and fast foods should be avoided at all costs since they tend to increase the body’s toxicity levels. This increases the vulnerability of your body to contract various diseases making you less productive at work. Instead, try eating lots of fresh fruits and green vegetables that supply the body with necessary dietary fibers that play a vital role in energizing the body to work for longer duration.
2. Exercise regularly
Some common symptoms of persons undergoing work related stress and anxiety are that they suffer from poor decision making, fail miserably in understanding their personal priorities and are prone to getting stuck in fruitless distractions.
This can either be because these people are worried about things that are not under their control or that have not happened yet, or because they are immobilized by the stress and anxiety that they feel instead of being inspired to act. Excessive anxiety, if left unchecked can become unhealthy and it takes the form of a serious anxiety disorder. Regular exercising is one of the best ways to shred negative energies acquired during work.
Exercising stimulates the release of endorphin, a hormone that can make you feel good, reduces your anxiety and your sensitivity to pain. Regular exercising and physical activity can also improve brain functioning and enhance a person’s decision making power. It is therefore always advisable to pursue some form of physical activity whether it is taking a brisk walk, running on the treadmill or undertaking weight and strength training exercises.
3. Be positive
Being positive and maintaining a positive attitude is one of the best weapons available to an individual to counter work related stress and anxiety. Several studies have established the fact that people who behave positively are more resilient in dealing with adverse situations in their professions and personal lives. According to noted columnist Barbara Fredrickson, positive people are able to retain a broader perspective that helps them to identify long term solutions.
In addition to that positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, one cant is joyful and stressed at the same time. Moreover, according to American psychologist Martin Seligman, positive and optimistic sales people sell more than their pessimistic counterparts. Therefore, maintaining a positive attitude is must for maintaining personal efficiency and productivity at work.
4. Talk to your family and friends
Sometimes, discussing your work related anxieties and problems with your family and close friends can be a good way to reduce stress and feel relaxed. Friends and family members provide the necessary cushion against setbacks and sharing personal as well as professional woes can be really helpful in calming the nerves and finding possible solutions. It also helps to instill a sense of togetherness and prevents the person from feeling lonely and isolated during difficult times.
Knowing the limitations of your personal abilities and being frank about them is one of the best ways to avoid stress and anxiety at work. Sometimes saying ‘No’ is the best thing to do whether in your personal or professional life. Refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re aware you won’t be able to accomplish them successfully. This honest assertion about your limitations does not cast a negative aspersion on your efficiency instead it lets you concentrate better on things that you can do instead of fretting about things that you can’t.
5. Create a balanced schedule at work and stick to it
Creating a balanced schedule is a necessity to survive stress-free in a highly competitive work environment. Carefully analyze your schedule to accommodate responsibilities, daily tasks and leisure activities. You must strive to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and private pursuits. Avoid doing too much work in a single and split them into smaller parts spread over several days. In case you are burdened with too much work, choose carefully between the ones that you must do immediately and the others that you can do later. Try to leave for office earlier than you did previously, since it is always better to start your day with ease instead of frantically rushing to your desk. Taking short breaks in between work for taking a brisk walk or for listening to some soothing music is also very useful in briefly relaxing your mind and reducing work related stress and anxiety.
6. Plan your activities well
Stress starts developing on you when you miss some work or do not perform some task well as you are trying to do too many things at the same time. This should be avoided and you should make a planned schedule for yourself. For example, at home you can plan your schedule as per your activities at home. Wake up at a particular time, do the morning activities at a stipulated time and do not let hindrances come your way. At work, similarly plan your meetings depending on your workload, finish files and stipulated work within deadlines and do not fall prey to hindrances due to colleagues or bosses.
7. Practice yoga
Yoga is an ancient technique of keeping your body, mind and soul healthy. You can plan a small session of yoga or power yoga early in the morning. It helps in keeping the stress and tension at bay. It gives you energy and power to deal with situations and different activities which take place during the day. It also keeps your body fit to help you deal with home and work simultaneously.
8. Keep your expectations low
When you are at home, you are dependent on your family members to perform some tasks. This will help you out and lower your burden. However, the people who have been assigned the task do not do it on time and you need to do it and your stress increases. Instead do not depend on anyone for any task. Keep your expectations low and perform the tasks on your own. This would help you complete the tasks and also would not increase your stress. Follows the same rule for the work place as well.
9. Lock out gloomy thoughts
Depression is a state of mind. It is merely a thought. No thought fills the mind forever. It goes, as it comes. Don’t you take precautions to stop a thief from entering your house? Similarly, you should do your best to stop a gloomy thought from entering your mind. It is correct that you cannot put a lock on your mind, but you can train it not to think about the things that make you sad.
10. Face the situation head on
Do not try to shun your problems by closing your eyes to it. This hardly solves any problem. It amplifies it further. Do not curse yourself nor waste your energies in trying to change the situation that you feel is the root cause of your problems. Since the situation is ever changing, it would invariably lead you to more and more problems. Do not ever surrender to your sufferings and blame your fate for it. This again does not solve the problem, but will make you all the more vulnerable.
11. Practice equanimity
Equanimity brings happiness and when it is disturbed one feels depressed. It is the delusion of self that creates suffering and disturbs equanimity. Suppose if a stolen car was not yours, would you still feel the pinch? In case you could train your mind to think that the car that has been stolen is not mine, will not the result be the same?
Dealing with Anxiety Attacks at Work
Long working hours, workload, job insecurity, and issues with boss adds to the plight of working adults. Thus, work-related anxiety can cause significant health issues. Here are some effective ways to deal with anxiety attacks at work.
1. Feelings are the root cause
It is important to understand your emotions for they play a very vital role in decision making process. The better you understand your emotions, the more effectively you would be able to control what is within your realm. One should try to channelize the negative energies in positive possibilities and activities that could boost the motivational levels. It is useless subsiding ones emotions and struggling achieving the impossible as it would only lead to frustration.
Whenever you face an anxiety attack, just divert your attention to something you have a passion for. Such practice will not only help you bring down the anxiety levels but also let you relax. Do not keep your problem to yourself and discuss it with people who are close to you. They may help you find a right solution which you might not be able to figure out at that moment. Remember emotion management holds the key to turn you into a productive and happier person.
2. Face your anxiety
Never try to run away from anxiety as its root cause must be resolved, otherwise it will haunt you back sooner or later. Face your fear as the idea of confronting your anxiety-causing concerns before you actually do it will actually help you face the situation properly. Researches suggest that generally anxiety levels increase when people set unrealistic goals and struggle achieving them. Do set goals but try to achieve them step by step one at a time.
Take notice of the moments that lead to anxiety attacks and analyze the cause so that you could prepare yourself to tackle it effectively. It will help you learn more about yourself and choices you make. Self analysis and meditation is a must to work out a solution to deal with anxiety. There are several exercise and activities to help lower the anxiety and stress levels. Your diet also have a role to play in lowering down anxiety and elevating you spirits.
3. Get a hold of your creativeness
Self satisfaction is something that is seldom found in the ado of today’s busy routine. Monotonous lifestyle and boring routine takes away the zest from life, thereby, increasing the frustration levels. Try out something crazy and creative now and then to add freshness to your life. Being creative helps one deal with anxiety in a far productive manner.
It will help you build a positive attitude to take on difficult situations and challenges in life with more confidence and enthusiasm. Creativity has the power of creation and grooms your personality as a whole. So cultivate a habit of writing down your creative ideas and implementing them whenever you feel a bit low and unsatisfied.
4. Live life king size
By this we are not suggesting a lavish lifestyle but living with a heart of a king. Over the years we have conditioned ourselves to survive, but, being alive is what matters the most. By being alive we mean enjoying the gifts that life has to offer every moment. This habit can help one control his emotional states and cut down the anxiety levels. Indulge in activities like dance, cooking, painting, music or whatever you have a passion for. Being serious and over burdened with work will only worsen the condition irrespective of what you achieve on the career front. Try to find light moments while working, where you can share a joke and have a short laugh. Remember, laughter is the best medicine of cure.
5. Observe everyday
Self monitoring and encouraging yourself to try and develop new skills is the key to deal with anxiety attacks at work. Produce long lasting behavioral patterns, which will help you, ease out the anxiety you feel while working. Once you have yourself adapted to the new behavioral patterns, it will become easier to be attached with these new habits and realize how much they help you in lowering down your anxiety levels. Observe yourself as well as reaction of others while trying out your new ways of dealing with anxiety. This way you will understand what you have been lacking and the areas you need to work on as well as what people expect from you. This can work wonders in controlling the situation around you effectively.
