Everyone has experienced anxiety once in their lives. It is the feeling of uneasiness, stress, and panic that something is about to go wrong. You can face it regardless of the situation; even at your workplace. Follow this article to learn about what anxiety is and how can you experience anxiety at work and when to quit?
Anxiety is not just fear. It is an emotion that can ruin even the most wonderful moments for its patients. The feeling of uneasiness and panic that keeps getting into your head. Sweaty palms and constant shaking can make your anxiety worse. It can happen to anyone; at a workplace, at school, at a family gathering, or when you are hanging out with your friends. It is a fear in your mind that keeps you from enjoying yourself.
It can be mild or severe. Some people can control it while others cannot. It is one of the most talked about types of mental health conditions. It can get so severe that you find it hard to finish your day. Although there are treatment plans for anxiety such as behavioral therapy, you must consult a healthcare specialist before signing up for any sort of treatment. It is normal to experience mild anxiety every once in a while but when anxiety gets in your way to function your basic tasks then, you must talk to a professional.
Follow this article to learn more about what anxiety is and how you can experience anxiety at work and when to quit.
Table of Contents
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is one of the most famous and talked about mental health conditions. It is normal to feel anxious every once in a while like; in a job interview, during a presentation, while completing a task, sitting in an examination hall, or when you are facing some financial problems. But when your anxiety starts getting severe that every single day feels like a burden then, you must go and visit a health professional.
You might feel sweaty palms, speedy heartbeat, feeling of dread and uneasiness. You will feel as if everything is going to fall apart and there is nothing you can do about it. Your blood pressure will accelerate which is not a good thing. This feeling of dread can come in between you and your goal, you might not think clearly and start questioning yourself. Anxiety can often lead you towards the path of low self esteem and self doubt. You start to cover away from the crowds and prefer to stay alone.
Anxiety can also lead to longitudinal stress and depression. When you are alone, you don’t share your feelings with anyone which can create heaviness inside your mind and your heart. When the thoughts of self doubt enter your mind, stop everything and go outside to clear your head. Because often people who are doubting their selves fall into depression which can lead to self harm and suicidal thoughts.
What are some of the symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety is different for everyone, but people suffering from anxiety might experience some of the following symptoms. It depends on the type of anxiety they are going through.
- It can cause you feelings like:
- Excessive fear
- Restlessness
- Tense
- Anxiety can jumble your thoughts like:
- Worrying
- Obsessive thinking
- Always thinking the worst is going to happen
- Anxiety also attacks your body, following are some of the physical symptoms of anxiety:
- Panic attacks
- Increased heartbeat
- Chest tightening
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Sweaty palms
- You are unable to concentrate on one thing
- You will feel as if pins and needles are being pierced into your skin
What are some of the main types of anxiety?
According to research, following are some of the major types of anxiety a person can be associated with:
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Panic
- Post traumatic stress disorder
- Social anxiety
- Phobias
- Separation anxiety
- Selective mutism
Generalized anxiety disorder:
People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) often over think their situations. They keep on playing different scenarios in their heads and worry themselves. They may overthink to a point of no return, they even spend a lot of time worrying about the events of the future. For people to be associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) they must have behavioral and physical symptoms of anxiety for at least six months.
Obsessive compulsive disorder:
A person who is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) may find themselves repeating their actions over and over again. They can be obsessive about little things such as; obsessing over germs or checking on little things countless times. This can drive their significant partners mad.
Panic:
A panic attack can be a cause of a lot of major issues in your life. Panic attacks can be deeply rooted in a person because of some past trauma or recent life event that has deeply affected a person. A panic attack lasts for about 10 – 20 minutes. If it gets severe you must get professional help immediately.
Post traumatic stress disorder:
This type of anxiety is generated from a past event that has been deeply rooted in your mind. It can give you nightmares about that event, it can take you back to the same place. PTSD will not let you move on from that specific event. You might wake up screaming or crying in the middle of the night. It will give you immense anxiety just with the thought of visiting the place where it all started.
Social anxiety:
Social anxiety is also known as social phobia. It is an anxiety disorder where a person does not socialize and likes to stay alone. They think no one can criticize them or humiliate them when they are living alone. And if by any chance they take part in a social gathering, they try not to initiate any conversation and look invisible.
Phobias:
A phobia means an excessive fear of a person, place, or an object. You have some past memory related to that thing and it is not pleasant. A phobia is mostly the result of PTSD where a past event still haunts you in many different ways.
Separation anxiety:
It is a type of anxiety where a person is constantly worried about someone in their lives. They are worried that person will leave them, they are worried about their safety, and worried for their health. It can make you feel fear, panic, and worry.
Selective mutism:
It is a type of anxiety disorder that starts during childhood and if no treatment is given to the patient then, it can get severe. A person is not able to speak in a social gathering like; classroom or a party. They remain quiet and don’t talk much. It is considered as one of the most severe types of anxiety disorders.
What can cause anxiety?
While there are many causes of anxiety, some of the main causes of anxiety are:
- Genetics – There is a possibility that having anxiety runs in your family. Genetics is one of the major causes of many health conditions including anxiety.
- Brain chemistry – Some researchers suggest that abnormal brain currents and chemicals can cause major mental health conditions and anxiety is one of them.
- Environmental stress – This implies towards the stressful life events that you must have experienced as a child or recently. Such as; losing a loved one, childhood abuse, losing a job, or being subjected to violence recently or in the past.
- Drug or alcohol – If a person is addicted to drugs and alcohol, it will cause longitudinal stress and anxiety. Anxiety is indirectly connected to alcohol abuse and drugs.
- Medical conditions – Medical conditions such as heart or lung disease can cause anxiety. Having anxiety can even worsen your situation. If the situation goes out of your hands then, you must consult your healthcare specialist.
What can trigger your anxiety?
It is extremely important for a person to recognize their triggers so they can avoid getting into such situations. There are many things that can affect your anxiety disorder but the main triggers are:
- Health issues
- Medications
- Negative thinking
- Financial stress
- Social gatherings
- Conflict
- Personal triggers
Health issues:
Having serious health issues like cancer or other chronic diseases can easily trigger your anxiety. it ‘s because these things are too personal to you hence they can develop strong emotions in you. You must deal with your anxiety as it is not good for your health to have anxiety along with serious diseases.
Medications:
Certain medications like birth control pills, chronic illness medication, or weight loss medications can sometimes trigger your anxiety. It depends on the consumer whether or not the medication and its ingredients will sit right with them or not.
Negative thinking:
Whenever you are stressed about something or you are struggling to get something done, you start to think negatively, sometimes people even bad mouth themselves. This negative self-talk can trigger your anxiety and instead of getting your work done, you might not be able to concentrate on it.
Financial stress:
Everyone is stressed about saving money, paying their bills, paying tuition, or paying off their debt. People develop fear and get stressed because of it. This stress can trigger your anxiety. You can get help from a financial advisor if things are getting out of hand.
Social gatherings:
Some people might get anxious in a room full of people. They are not comfortable with strangers around them and they cannot initiate any small talk. Being in a social gathering can give them immense anxiety.
Conflict:
Being in a relationship with someone with whom you have a constant rift and you are always in conflict with that certain person then, it can trigger your anxiety. Things might get worse because you are emotionally attached to that person and having a conflict disturbs your emotions and your mind.
Personal triggers:
These triggers are related to your mental health issues. Like a past trauma or PTSD. These triggers can happen at any time with the mention of a person, place, or a thing. If things go out of hand with your anxiety attacks then, you must consult a healthcare professional.
How can you experience anxiety at work and when to quit?
It is natural to feel drained after work. You work long hours to deliver your best and sometimes your work may get rejected. 9 out of 10 people have reported that their jobs have affected their mental health in the worst way possible. 83% have reported that they feel emotionally and mentally drained at the end of the day because of their work. There is a possibility that you feel highly stressed because of some pending meetings, projects, and assignments.
When someone is working in a toxic environment where work is prioritized over health and you feel as if you are not being compensated fairly for all the hard work you are putting then, anxiety will make its way in your life. Especially when it is difficult to deal with your boss and fulfill his/her unrealistic expectations. There are many factors that can trigger your workplace anxiety but the main factors are:
- Working in a toxic environment
- Dealing with a difficult boss
- Not being able to make any friends at your work
- Your boss has unrealistic expectations
- You are not getting paid for your overtime
- Salary is comparatively low for your qualification
- Your supervisor thinks the worst of you.
- You are not able to prioritize your health over your work
When to quit your work?
Coping up with your anxiety at work is normal for everyone, we all feel anxious when the workload hits us. But for some people this might get too much. When a person starts losing their own self in the shadow of their work then, it is time to say your goodbyes to that place. Following are some of the main factors that can drive you to the edge of quitting your job because of anxiety.
- Toxic workplace environment
- You don’t want to go to work
- You are feeling exhausted – physically and mentally
- You are suffering from longitudinal stress
Toxic workplace environment:
When you are surrounded by toxicity at your workplace then you are bound to feel anxious. When you are working for a company that only cares about the work you produce and not about their employees health. When no matter how much overtime you do, you are never compensated for it and your company prioritizes work over health then, people will eventually start to hate their jobs and soon they might leave.
You don’t want to go to work:
You are tired both mentally and physically of the same hectic routine that you have to follow. On some days you don’t even want to go for work, you just want to escape your reality and go to an alternate universe or be invisible for a day.
You are feeling exhausted – physically and mentally:
Your work life is making you exhausted. You have no social life, you don’t get to see your family and your friends even on weekends. The workload is immense and it gets too much sometimes. You are exhausted both mentally and physically.
You are suffering from longitudinal stress:
It is natural to feel stressed when you are doing your job. You have many things you need to work on like; your projects, meetings, making sure you are meeting your deadlines, and always keeping record of the necessary files. These things can cause you stress but the minute you feel like you are taking your stress home then, it’s time you say farewell to your job. Take some time off and relax.
How can you manage your anxiety at the workplace?
As we all know, anxiety can be triggered anytime, anywhere. So, you have to understand your pin points and especially when you are at work. Following are some of the ways through which you can manage your anxiety at the workplace.
- Recognize your triggers
- Focus on your fear
- Be gentle with yourself
- Take breaks in between
- Get organized
- Set boundaries
- Make new friends
- Don’t think about work when away from work
Recognize your triggers:
You must acknowledge your triggers. Learn about them, what can cause them, and always prepare a comfort kit with you especially when you are going to work. This can help you a lot. By having a comfort kit, you can have access to all the necessary medicines you might need at the time of need.
Focus on your fear:
Focus on your fear, don’t run away from them. When you run away from them you are unintentionally delaying them because sooner or later you have to face them. So, no matter how big or small your fears are, face them. Take one step at a time.
Be gentle with yourself:
You have to start taking care of yourself. Be gentle with yourself, appreciate yourself even for the smallest compliments. Be your own best friend and motivate yourself. Don’t put too much burden on your shoulders, take one step at a time, and take some time off when you feel it’s getting too much for you to handle.
Take breaks in between:
Always take micro breaks whenever you complete a task. Give ten minutes to yourself and recollect your thoughts. Get up from your seat and wash your face, talk to someone about anything other than work. You have earned those ten minutes after dedicating hours to a task. Relax yourself and take deep breaths.
Get organized:
One of the main reasons for being anxious at your work is the loading pile of work that you have to complete before its deadline. To avoid any hassle, you have to be more organized. Make a to-do list and go through it point by point. You will see for yourself how quickly and efficiently you accomplish all of your goals for the day.
Set boundaries:
The best way to manage your anxiety is to set some ground rules. Set your time for when you are going to start and end your work, make a to-do list, take micro breaks, engage in conversation with your colleagues, and always give yourself a positive response after completing a task.
Make new friends:
It may be difficult for you to socialize with complete strangers, but once you spend some time with them you have to realize that these people are your work family. Engage in conversation with your colleagues and ask them about their day. Ask for their opinion on your assignment. This will help you in making some new friends.
Don’t think about work when away from work:
Do not take your work life back home with you. Even when you are going on a break, don’t think about your pending task. Take a walk, clear your head, go on the rooftop and enjoy some fresh air. This way, when you come back to your desk your mind will be fresh and you will be more productive.
Conclusion:
Feeling anxious is very normal, everyone gets anxiety at least once in their lives. All you need to know is how to manage your anxiety, whether you are at work or at vacation. If you are sensing that something has triggered your anxiety then, you must not cover it. Face it, learn from your past experiences, recall your happy moments, and think about something or someone that makes you calm down. Make sure you have your comfort kit with you wherever you go. It can give you fast access to your medications at the time of need.
Consult a professional. If you are dealing with anxiety for more than six months then, you must consult a professional who can help you with the whole process. Delaying it will only make things worse. Give yourself a break and don’t put too much pressure on your shoulders. Take one step at a time and you will get there.
