How My Anxiety Impacts My Work

How My Anxiety Impacts My Work Like a lot of young people, I grew up with pretty intense social anxiety. Then that anxiety became general-purpose anxiety, and suddenly I welches one of those kids who was afraid to play outside, talk to new people, or even ask for a refill at a restaurant. I stayed awake worrying pretty much every night.Of course, you can imagine what kind of an effect that sort of stress has on a kid I was a great student but terrible at self-care. As I got older, I grew out of a lot of that. In college I was still a good student, but much more laid-back. Even the all-dreaded finals weeks couldnt phase me. Then I started my first full-time job. I worked hard and wanted to excel, and I was surrounded by supportive coworkers. But every day, I thought to myself, Im going to get fired. Im elend smart/assertive/experiencedenough to work here. That stress motivated me to work even harder. But because I hadnt experienced stress like that for many years, I found it cripplin g in some ways.I later learned that theres a term for these feelings. One day I was talking to a trusted coworker about what I felt and she said, Oh, thats imposter syndrome. Pretty much everyone feels like that sometimes. I was shocked. I thought I was this stressed island, but in reality, fruchtwein people around me felt the saatkorn way. That validation was a huge relief, but it didnt change the fact that I still sometimes felt like what I was putting out wasnt quite good enough. I needed to find a way to be a productive employee without getting caught up in feelings of self-doubt.Strategies for Managing Anxiety at WorkUnmanaged workplace anxiety can have long-lasting, damaging impacts on even highly motivated employees. With this in mind, Ive implemented some strategies to help manage and utilize my workplace stress.Here are a few tactics I use every day1. Talk It OutSocial anxiety in the workplace can prevent you from making meaningful relationships with the people you work wit h. However, finding a few trusted coworkers to help you talk through your struggles will build a support network and prevent the isolation that can come with going through it alone. In addition, you may find that other people are feeling the same things you are like my coworker who educated me about imposter syndrome, a welcoming ear and the willingness to be upfront about what youre feeling can help you find others who feel like you do and work through solutions together.2. Create Quiet Moments in Your DayMost people take breaks periodically throughout their workdays. Its normal to step away from the keyboard for a few minutes sometimes, especially if youre feeling overwhelmed. Take the time to find tactics that work for you. For me, a walk outside or a few minutes of a podcast can help me breathe for a bit and allows me to refocus my energies on my work without getting caught up in stress. Sometimes its as simple as getting away from your desk.Claire Goodwin, office manager for Jo seph Farzam Law Firm, says, Taking time out, stepping out of the office, and re-directing my attention to tasks of lower consequence can also help to pull me back from the edge when things start to get bad.3. Find the Root of Your AnxietySome anxieties come from an internal source, often deep-rooted, and can take a lot of effort to overcome. However, some of our anxieties come from tangible external sources.When Im starting to feel stress coming on, I try to take a step back and identify whats feeding into those negative feelings. Maybe theres a deadline coming up soon, or maybe Im taking on too many projects at once. Being in-tune with those triggers and facing them head-on can help resolve the problems youre having and nip that anxiety in the bud.Goodwin describes it like this A huge part of anxiety is the unknown. I now make a point of eliminating as many variables and anticipating as many outcomes as possible. Having a contingency plan keeps me in control even when things are no t going as planned. The act of implementing boundaries and maintaining control helps to keep my anxiety at bay.4. Turn Your Stress into a Weapon of SuccessAlthough stress is something most of us experience at work, it doesnt have to be a bad thing.Courtenay Stevens, a writer at HowtoWatch.com, says, My anxiety often propels me to push myself harder and farther. I think its fueled a lot by the fact that Im a woman and a working mom. I constantly feel anxious that my peers dont think I belong. That anxiety makes me eager to prove that I deserve a place at the table. Some of my best work has been the result of anxiety.Stress as a MotivatorUsing your stress as a motivator can keep you constantly on your toes. Today, I still struggle with a lot of workplace-related anxiety. But I find that now I can use it as a motivator instead of as a roadblock, and it has made me not only a better employee but a happier person.