You’re not alone if the thought of attending an interview, presenting in front of coworkers, asking a question in a meeting, or even just sending an email makes you feel anxious. Anxiety in the workplace is more common than many people realize. Work anxiety therapy can help equip you with the right tools and strategies to thrive in your workplace. Anxiety at work doesn’t have to hold you back.
What Is Workplace Anxiety?
It’s important to remember that being stressed out at work from time to time is normative; however, when that stress becomes intense and unmanageable, it may indicate that your anxiety at work needs professional support. If your anxiety is interfering with your performance at work or your ability to think about workplace settings, you should consider seeking help.
Work anxiety can be very similar to social anxiety, as both involve an intense fear of judgment, embarrassment, and negative evaluation from others. This form of anxiety specifically manifests in job-related situations, where heightened fear, self-doubt, and physical symptoms may interfere with daily work tasks – even when the individual is completely capable.
Signs of Workplace or Career Anxiety
- Losing interest in your work
- Avoidance of triggers like interviews, promotions, and meetings
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
- Upset stomach
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- Constant, excessive fear and worry
- Sweating
- Shaking or trembling
- Rapid heartbeat
Workplace Triggers
Work anxiety can show up in nearly any professional situation, depending on the individual. Recognizing and understanding your triggers can help you to prepare and cope when your workplace becomes overwhelming. Some common triggers include:
- Interviewing for a new job
- Being promoted to a new position, especially positions with higher authority and more interpersonal tasks
- Giving presentations
- Speaking in meetings
- Office lunches and parties
- Staff-bonding activities
- Networking events
- Addressing issues with coworkers
- Speaking to supervisors
The Impact on Career & Mental Health
Workplace anxiety isn’t just harmful for your personal mental health; it can also become detrimental to your career when it impacts your ability to perform at work. Some of the ways that workplace anxiety can impact your career include:
- Limited opportunities for promotions or leadership roles
- Avoidance of growth within the workplace
- Turning down promotions
- Avoiding interviews out of fear of change
- Reduced productivity
- Burnout from overpreparation or avoidance
- Strain on relationships with coworkers (or absence of relationships altogether)
Therapy for Workplace Anxiety
Both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be incredibly helpful at managing anxiety surrounding work, career, and social situations at work. These approaches will assist in providing tools to cope with anxiety at work, learning new ways to think about work challenges/stressors, and increasing adaptive, helpful automatic thoughts in the workplace. Seeking therapy for workplace anxiety can also provide ongoing support and guidance tailored to your specific needs.
Managing Workplace Anxiety
Staying on top of your workplace anxiety and ahead of triggers is key to creating a safe, comfortable workplace for yourself. Try implementing some of these tips to ease your anxious thoughts:
- Stay organized. Keep your work area clean and organized.
- Plan. Practice time management when you know you have important deadlines or big tasks. Make a plan for yourself to break the work up over multiple days so that you don’t fall behind.
- Practice. If you have an important presentation coming up, make sure to practice your speech. Be sure that you truly understand what you are presenting and be prepared to answer questions. If you have a meeting that you are nervous about speaking in, prepare a few things for yourself to say ahead of time.
- Be realistic. Don’t take on new tasks or roles to impress your boss. Overcommitting can lead to more stress in the long run. Be realistic about the tasks you have already taken, and how much time you need to commit to them to be proud of your work.
- Set boundaries and take breaks. Work is stressful and overwhelming at times – and that is normal. It is important to know when to take breaks for yourself. Not only does this support your own mental health, but it can also help you perform better. Don’t take work home with you, and take breaks (even for just a few minutes) when work becomes overwhelming.
Set goals and celebrate them. Set small and large goals for yourself each week/month. When you achieve your goals, celebrate and praise yourself. It is important to recognize that you are doing well, even if it seems like others don’t notice.
Creating a Supportive Workplace – Helping Employees
It is likely that at some point during your professional career, you will work with someone who has workplace anxiety – if you don’t experience it yourself. A healthy, supportive, and safe environment not only makes it less overwhelming for people with anxiety but it can also encourage employees to feel comfortable opening up about their concerns and asking for support. By creating a workplace culture that prioritizes mental health, you can make a huge difference in employee well-being. Some ways to do this include:
Educating employees about mental health disorders. Host training, invite guest speakers, and share resources to break the stigma and build empathy in the workplace. By helping employees to understand anxiety and other mental health issues better, they are more likely to offer compassion and a safe environment to one another.
Being open to reasonable workplace accommodations. Being understanding about small accommodation requests like quiet workspaces, additional breaks, or flexible schedules can make a huge difference without disrupting the workplace environment or productivity.
Offering a safe space for employees to speak to someone confidentially. Having someone employees can talk to provides reassurance that employees won’t be penalized for their struggles. This may be an HR rep, a manager, or an actual mental health professional.
Recognizing employees when they are doing a good job. Small gestures of appreciation can boost confidence and reduce the self-doubt that often comes with workplace anxiety. Feedback should not only be given when there’s an extraordinary accomplishment or a negative incident.
Be mindful of employees’ capabilities. Assign tasks that align well with employees’ strengths and weaknesses to help them gradually enter new areas without overwhelming them.
Remind employees of the resources available to them when they are suffering from mental health issues. From national hotlines to employee programs, reminding employees of the resources available to them can help to ensure that they seek support before it’s too late.
FAQS About Work Anxiety Therapy
First, give yourself compassion. Work can be stressful. It is common to fear criticism or judgment in the workplace. Try to speak to yourself as you would a coworker or a close friend if they were feeling similarly. If your workplace anxiety or stress reaches a point of significantly impacting your daily functioning, consider reaching out to a professional work anxiety therapist or psychologist for therapy for anxiety.
Dealing with anxiety in the workplace often starts with recognizing your triggers and finding small, practical ways to manage them. Techniques like deep breathing, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and staying organized can make daily challenges feel less overwhelming. For added support, some people find that work anxiety therapy gives them tools to handle stress more effectively. With consistent habits and the right support, it’s possible to build balance and feel more at ease at work.
Oftentimes, workplace anxiety is caused by fear of judgment or criticism by colleagues or supervisors, fear of being evaluated for work products/outcomes, or nervousness in interpersonal interactions within the workplace. It can also occur due to unhealthy workplace cultures or punitive leadership styles of supervisors.
Work anxiety therapy can help provide support, validation, and strategies for workplace anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help increase functional/adaptive thoughts and behaviors at work to improve associated symptoms of anxiety.
Work Anxiety Therapy Takeaway
Therapists for work anxiety can help you break free from constant stress and pressure, guiding you toward balance, confidence, and peace at work. By managing anxious thoughts, building coping skills, and improving focus, you can create a healthier relationship with your career.
If you’re ready to stop feeling stuck at your job and start thriving, reach out to Embrace Now for tailored work anxiety therapy.