Anxiety is something that everybody feels during a stressful period of life. It can even be helpful when it occurs at the right times, such as before a job interview or a presentation. This is because it can lead to greater motivation and preparation for these situations. However, when the anxiety is unbearable, and occurs during times that are not overly stressful, it can turn start to take a toll on productivity and wellbeing.
Experiencing anxiety at work can feel like you are alone, and that you have to work hard every day to maintain a brave face while you are fighting with yourself inside. You may have started to feel more stressed about the tasks that are set, or have noticed a decline in your work performance. On the other hand, you may instead be doing extremely well at work but struggling to cope with the constant pressure you feel while trying to keep this up. Some other indicators that you may be experiencing anxiety at work include:
- Taking an increasing number of days off
- Making excuses to avoid certain tasks or work social events
- Having an inability to ‘switch off’ or get a good night’s sleep after work
- Continually thinking about work, and feeling nervous, anxious or worried at the thought of going to work
- Difficulties in concentrating in meetings, or being unable to stay focused on a task
- Feeling weak, light-headed or dizzy without any particular reason for it
However, sometimes your job may be unnecessarily stressful and difficult, or you may be taking on too many responsibilities than you can manage. So how can you tell whether it is you, or whether it is the job? Sometimes it can help to get a professional perspective to help you to discover the cause of your anxious feelings, and find a way to resolve these so that you can begin to enjoy your work again. Furthermore, you may have noticed one of your employees experiencing a great increase in stress and a change in work performance, and are wanting to provide them with the support to work through this.
VCPS practitioners are specialised in work place concerns, particularly in finding out how to better manage emotions and improving overall productivity. Some of the ways that a practitioner would be able to assist you or your employee include:
- Assessing the current situation in both personal and work life, in order to identify what the main cause of the anxious feelings are
- Build personalised strategies to help manage anxiety, including evidence-based techniques to stop the anxiety before it occurs
- Identify any difficulties in the workplace and find ways to resolve these so that it is a more stress-free environment
- Identify ways to switch off after work, and learn to enjoy other areas of life more
