Ever find anxiety slamming the brakes on your work momentum?
Be it clamming up in meetings or sidestepping catch-ups with your manager, it’s a hurdle that can keep you from achieving your professional goals.
In a recent book, “The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower,” Morra Aarons-Mele delves into practical strategies for recognizing and addressing anxiety in the workplace, so that you don’t let it get in the way of your success.
So if you’re ready to address the issue and start off 2024 right, here are the three main steps for managing anxiety at work.
- Increase Self-Awareness: The first step is to learn more about your anxious feelings, recognizing their manifestations, and understanding when they are likely to occur can create a space for thoughtful responses rather than reactive ones.
- Practise Self-Compassion: In moments of anxiety, practise self-compassion by acknowledging your stress, taking a pause, and employing simple techniques like deep breathing. Treat yourself as you would a close friend in a similar situation.
- Implement Pre-Planned Strategies: In anxiety-inducing situations, having pre-planned strategies, like taking a break to get a drink of water or giving yourself time to do some deep breathing in the restroom, can serve as small circuit breakers. They help you regain control and respond thoughtfully.
Aarons-Mele suggests personalised strategies, such as preparing sentences to respond to challenging colleagues or managers.
Some people have found success in phrases like:
- “I need some time to think about that; I’ll get back to you soon.”
- “Can I get back to you tomorrow? I need to check on something.”
- “I need to go now, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Remember, this process of managing anxiety takes time. It requires self-reflection, breaking entrenched patterns, and learning new ways of responding. It’s a journey with ups and downs, but the effort is worthwhile.
If you’re looking for more strategies to help manage your mental health at work, the therapists here at Employee Growth would love to be of service.