08 Jan 5 Tips to Reduce Work-Related Anxiety
Today, stress and anxiety are running rampant throughout the workplace. Unfortunately, 94% of American workers said they regularly experience stress in the workplace and these overwhelming feelings cause approximately one million workers to miss work every single day. What can you do to reduce work-related anxiety? What actions are most effective to deal with these feelings in the workplace?
1. Identify Your Triggers
One of the most important things you can do to reduce work-related anxiety is to identify your triggers. What causes you to feel anxious? Is it a certain individual? A specific task? If you have a difficult time identifying your triggers, consider keeping a journal for a week and write down each time you experience stress and what you were doing, who you were talking with, etc. Then, use your journal to identify a pattern.
2. Be Willing to Ask for Help
You don’t have to do it all. This is not only going to make you feel stressed and anxious, but it will burn you out and you will quickly lose motivation. Rather, ask a colleague or supervisor for help to ensure you are completing certain tasks correctly or to receive clarification. You will then feel less burdened by the responsibility and you’ll feel better.
3. Be Honest With Yourself
Are you setting unrealistic deadlines at work? Are you taking on more responsibilities and agreeing to more work than is possible? While you certainly want to do a good job and impress your managers, taking on too much is not the answer. If the deadlines are impossible to achieve, talk to your manager. You should also look closely at your own time management skills and habits to ensure you are not wasting time while in the office.
4. Take Care of Your Physical Health
Taking care of your physical health is crucial to reducing your work-related anxiety and improving your mental health. This includes tasks that are very basic but vital. They include:
- Eat a well-balanced diet.
- Limit your alcohol and soda intake.
- Exercise every day. This can be as simple as going for a walk.
- Receive the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
- Visit the doctor annually for a checkup.
- Meditate.
5. Go on a Vacation
The average American uses approximately 54% of their vacation time. Going on a vacation and taking a break from the monotony of work has many benefits including:
- Helps you feel rejuvenated and refreshed when you come back to work.
- Improves your quality of sleep.
- Increases your productivity.
- Reduces your stress and anxiety levels.
While you may have many excuses to skip your vacations, you should make these trips a priority. Not only will the trip itself help to reduce your anxiety, but you will have something to look forward to and something that makes you happy and motivated on those difficult days.
Anxiety in the workplace is common and will likely happen no matter your industry and position. However, you can control and reduce this anxiety by putting certain measures in place and using it as an opportunity to grow.
