How to Overcome Work Anxiety
Are you best friends with the Sunday scaries? Ya know, you sit down on the couch early Sunday evening and are instantly hit with an intense feeling of dread thinking about waking up in the morning to start a new week of work. You might then begin to notice your heart begin to race, palm and forehead sweat and worry thoughts start to ruminate about the presentation you have on Wednesday or having to sit through the boring staff meeting in the mornings.
If this is you then you might be experiencing work anxiety. Work anxiety is becoming more and more common, especially for those entering the workplace. It is also something my clients bring into the therapy room in a regular basis. In fact, a recent study published by the American Psychological Association’s 2024 work and Well-Being study found that 79% of the 1,501 employees surveyed experienced work-related stress in the month before the survey. That’s HUGE!
Workplace anxiety by definition is the persistent feeling of worry about work that can that effect into all areas of you work life - from performance to relationships with colleagues to job security. Workplace anxiety can definitely give you an edge and put you to do well and achieve your goals but it can become problematic and impact your well-being when it becomes all-consuming and excessive potentially creep into your personal life.
Symptoms of work anxiety
Emotional
You might find yourself thinking about deadlines or an upcoming presentation beyond the work day and into other areas of your life. This may cause difficulty sleeping and being able to be present in the moment when your with friends or family. You may feel super overwhelmed or like you don’t have control over anything causing the simplest of tasks to feel big.
You may become irritable and more frustrated and impatient with your co-workers or little issues that you were able to easily cope with in the past. You might also have a constant worry about doing everything perfectly to avoid making mistakes and disappointing others.
Physical
Work anxiety can cause you to have an increase in headaches, tummy problems, difficulty sleeping and isolating yourself from your colleagues or other social events.
Behavioral:
Avoiding work tasks is super common (ahem, procrastination) due to feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to make mistakes. The people pleaser in you might be coming out strong causing you to have difficulty saying “no” and setting boundaries to not make waves or upset others. You might also be hearing comments from loved ones about you working too much or always checking your email outside of work hours.
Helpful ways to overcome work anxiety
Set boundaries
If you're needs aren't being met at work or if you’re finding yourself overwhelmed and anxious, it might be time to set a boundary. Spend some time thinking about areas that feel stressful - do you need to go home earlier? Say "no" to a task or project? Delete the email app from your phone? Feeling overloaded can make your anxiety go off the charts, learning to set boundaries with work tasks and colleagues is crucial to managing overwhelm.
For more tips on how to effectively set boundaries, head over to this blog.
Communicate
So you’ve identified your needs and boundaries to set - the next step is communicating them! This is where you might slip up in the boundary setting process as it can be intimidating and scary. But you can get better at it with a little practice! Expressing your concerns around workload, expectations, different ideas or needs can help you brainstorm solutions that can help create a more manageable workflow. It also let’s your supervisors and co-workers know how you are feeling which builds trust and support needed to lessen burdens and stress.
Take a mental health day
Make that call or send that email and take a day for yourself! We all need breaks and they are a non-negotiable in managing work stress and anxiety. A lot of clients talk about feeling guilty when they take breaks or time off. Totally normal, do it anyway and learn skills to manage and cope with the guilt. You are allowed to take time for yourself and when you do, be sure to turn off those notifications and find ways that really rejuvenate your soul.
Mindfulness / grounding
Incorporating exercises in the morning and throughout the day like deep breathing, small meditation moments, and progressive muscle relaxation can help regulate your nervous system. Even just a few minutes can really make a big impact on how you feel. Here are a few resources to help you get started -
Here are a few resources if you’re ready to get started on your own (click on the link for more information) -
Create a calming work space
This one is a personal favorite and is especially important if you are a highly sensitive person. Pay attention to lighting, colors, and clutter. Use noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to help off-set noises. Finding ways to reduce that stimulation is key. There is no one-size-fits-all for overwhelming stimuli, so identifying your own personal sources of stimulation is a helpful first step. Here are examples from my personal life and others around me -
Loud Noises and sounds - Music, tv (or both at the same time), appliances, videos playing on a phone or ipad, loud pots and pans while cooking, sirens, trucks, clocks, raised voices, multiple people talking at once.
Crowded Places - Highly crowded places, such as busy shopping malls, concerts, or packed public transportation
Bright Lights and sight - Intensely bright lights, especially fluorescent or strobe lighting, clutter, anything obstructing your vision
Strong Smells - Examples include perfumes, cleaning products, or certain foods (think broccoli or tuna)
Know when to ask for help
Reach out to your support network of friend sand family who help calm you down when you are stressed and overwhelmed. Never underestimate the importance and powerful impact of a “work wife!”
f your work anxiety is severe or interferes with your daily life, seek help from a therapist who can help tools and strategies to manage anxiety and develop coping mechanisms.
Bottom line
Work anxiety is incredibly common and on the rise. Using the above strategies of setting and communicating boundaries, practicing mindfulness, creating a calming environment and asking for help you can start to regain the control you are looking for while releasing the strong hold of anxiety. Don't hesitate to prioritize your well-being – a calmer and more confident you will not only thrive at work but in all aspects of your life.
Therapy can help
If you feel like you’re getting stuck along the way or want more guided support, it may be time to seek a consultation with a therapist. Contact Real Well Therapy here or call 512-686-7009.
Want to learn more about how anxiety therapy can help you? Click here!
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Disclaimer: the information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or a substitute for professional consultation. If you are experiencing emotional distress, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional.
