Have Work Anxiety? How to Conquer The Common Work Fears and Phobias

The fear of work is very common. Many people are anxious at work every day and will avoid going to work, dealing with difficult people at work, and challenging projects.

Some of the most common fears at work are:

1.      Public speaking

2.      Informal conversations (office parties, water cooler conversations)

3.      Other situations where you can embarrass yourself

4.      Losing one’s job

5.      Not performing at or above par; failure (this entails perfectionism)

6.      Dealing with difficult people at work (including your boss)

 

All of these anxieties center around the fear of losing esteem in the eyes of others or yourself.

 

How Does Work Anxiety Relate to Work Stress?

Workplace anxiety entails your fears and worries about yourself and your work performance. Stress entails your sense of being overwhelmed or overtaxed by the quantity and magnitude of work you need to complete.

Stress management can also be helpful because work stress can increase anxiety. You can reduce work stress by practicing your assertiveness skills and declining certain projects, delegating tasks, teaming up with people to help with certain projects, asking your boss for help, and practicing work stress management at home by building in relaxing and enjoying activities.

 

Is Work Anxiety Something More Serious?

Anxiety at work can signify an underlying anxiety disorder, although this is not always the case. Indicators that you may actually have an anxiety disorder and need professional help rather than normal levels of worry are:

1.      Anxiety is so intense that it is creating significant physical symptoms, such as panic attacks.

2.      You are avoiding important work-related or other activities and can’t get yourself to confront them.

3.      Anxiety is interfering with functioning, including eating, sleeping, and socializing.

4.      Your mood is consistently down because you’re so upset about the anxiety you experience.

 

If you are experiencing these symptoms, speak with your doctor. Anxiety disorders are highly responsive to treatments such as medications and cognitive behavioral therapy.

 

How to Overcome Work Anxiety

The way to handle work related fears involve 5 steps:

1.      Recognize if the anxiety is realistic (ex, your boss really is a tyrant) or exaggerated.

 

2.      Learn specific behavioral skills to best handle the feared situation, such as assertiveness skills, conflict management, public speaking training, and organization skills.

 

3.      Plan to confront your fears by gradually seek out the feared situations, beginning with the easier ones and working up to the harder ones.

 

4.      Ask yourself what the worst thing that could happen is, and how you’d handle it in the unlikely event that it did happen.

 

5.      Deal with unwanted work-related worries that occur while at home by writing concerns down and problem-solving each one.

 

6.      Find a mentor and build a support team at work to help you perform your best.

 

7.      Explore whether your role, your company or your line of work are the best match for your natural talents, abilities, and interests, and seek out ways to best utilize your strengths.

 

 While some people are more susceptible to anxiety than others, you are not destined to be uncomfortable with your work and you can overcome work anxiety and enjoy your time at work.

Comments

[louis]

For instance, in the second step, Emotional Freedom Techniques is a great tool in those cases where people tend to have difficulties to use their thinking instead of emotions.
It's almost impossible to try to reason someone who's in the middle of an emotional turmoil, I think we've all noticed that.
Once those emotions are released, it's much easier to install other habits or implement other techniques and skills.

[Stephen Lodge]

A powerful way to move out of this anxious
mental fog is to switch your focus from your head
to your heart.

By simply making a deliberate shift of attention to your heart
you will find the anxious thoughts dissipate more easily
and the mental fog starts to gradually clear.

What makes your heart happy?
What makes you feel good?
What good things do you currently have in your life?

By getting control of what makes your heart happy and taking
attention away from your general mind, you are on your way to
calming your forth coming panic or anxiety attack.

http://www.stoppingpanicattack.com

[Sha Sha Belcar]

Anxiety disorder is an heightened level of normal anxiety or nervousness that normal everyday people may experience. Anxiety disorders and panic attacks are different than normal nervousness though, as it usually interferes with a person's ability to lead a normal life.

Anxiety disorders are quite common in today's population. 18% of all Americans suffer from some sort of Anxiety disorder or panic attacks.

The most common form of anxiety disorder is a panic disorder. Often striking without warning or without reason. The fear response is often out of proportion for the situation the person is dealing with. After having a few attacks the person develops a constant fear of having recurring attacks.

good thing we now have a good book that could really help us in dealing with panic attacks. http://www.stoppingpanicattack.com

[Larina]

Yes, anxiety disorders are indeed different from regular anxiety in terms of severity, frequency and impairment.

Your facts aren't quite right. Anxiety disoreders affecting 18% of population is right. Panic disorder is not the most common anxiety disorder. Social anxiety is- affects 6.8% U.S. population, panic disorder 2.7% If you count all of the specific phobias together, phobias are the largest. Panic disorder is actually the second to least common after OCD (1%).

All anxiety disorders are serious and CBT treatments are quite effective.

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