4 Helpful Tips for Reducing Anxiety at Work
No matter if you wake up in the best mood in the world or if you started your day sleeping through your alarm, spilling coffee on yourself, or sitting in traffic, the anxiety seems to creep in.
The emails never stop. It feels like you can never get ahead. You answer one email and ten more fill your inbox. You have meetings on meetings on meetings throughout your day. With all of these meetings, when are you supposed to get any work done? The workday just isn’t long enough to get through everything on your to-do list.
You’ve been on edge and worried more than normal lately. Even though you’ve been told you’re doing a good job, you can’t seem to shake this feeling. The anxiety creeps in and stays with you throughout your work day.
Here are 4 helpful tips for reducing anxiety at work.
1. Practice Relaxation Techniques
Having a list of relaxation techniques can be a great way to be a little more proactive rather than reactive when it comes to your anxiety. A lot of anxiety actually occurs when someone starts to think about their past actions or future actions that haven’t even occurred yet.
Relaxation techniques can help bring you back to the present moment and help keep you grounded. Here are a few of the different relaxation techniques you can try out. Practice some of these to see what works best for you. That way, the next time you’re feeling anxious at work, you’ll be able to use one of these in the moment.
- Body scan
- Deep breathing
- Meditation
- Repeat a mantra
- Write in a journal
- Yoga
2. Give Yourself Time
When it comes to your job, you want to do your work well and on time. It can be easy to overcommit or overpromise as a way to look good to your colleagues and bosses. Try to be realistic and honest with yourself, especially when it comes to deadlines.
You don’t want to overcommit and leave yourself feeling more anxious and stressed just to try to get something done. Take a look at your schedule and figure out the deadlines that will work for your day-to-day work without stretching yourself too thin.
3. Ask For Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can be easy to be a “yes” person and to constantly say yes to every task or project that your boss or coworker wants done. You may not always have the time, resources, or understanding to complete every single project. And you know what? That’s okay! No one expects you to always have all of the answers. It’s okay to ask for help. That could mean letting someone else complete a project. Or it could mean asking clarifying questions so you have a better understanding of the work that needs to be done.
Asking for help doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can show your boss and team that you care about your work and want to do a good job for yourself, the team, and the company.
4. Seek Additional Support
Asking for help doesn’t have to just mean your family, friends, or coworkers. Seeking advice from an outside third party can help provide a fresh perspective on your thoughts and feelings. A therapist can help you work through those anxious thoughts and feelings and help you figure out the root cause behind it. They’ll also be able to help you navigate any signs or symptoms you may be experiencing.
While there are lifestyle changes you can make on your own end to help reduce some of the anxiety you’re experiencing, nothing can replace professional help. Reach out today to set up a consultation for aanxiety therapy.