Coping with work-related anxiety and stress can be extremely challenging, from learning how to tell people “no” to prioritizing what feels like an overwhelming workload. But you don’t have to suffer alone. In Glendale, CA, Dr. Taji Huang, a licensed psychologist and mental health counselor with extensive experience treating anxiety, can help you learn how to manage workplace stress.
7 Ways To Manage Job Anxiety
- Learn your triggers
- Practice grounding techniques
- Maintain healthy habits & work-life balance
- Prioritize your tasks
- Organize your workspace
- Set boundaries with coworkers
- Talk to a therapist
Learn Your Anxiety Triggers
A crucial part of overcoming your work-related anxiety is to identify what triggers it. For some people, the anxiety might stem from having to interact with their boss and coworkers, whereas others might be prone to worrying about looming deadlines. By keeping track of what situations bring up your anxiety, you can develop a plan to reduce or work around it.
Practice Grounding Techniques
Once you’ve identified your triggers, you can practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, mindfulness meditations, and similar coping skills. For instance, if you’re anxious about an upcoming presentation, you could try taking slow, deep breaths with long exhales.
Alternatively, you could use sensory experiences, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, to ground yourself and distract yourself from the anxiety. For example, you could try to identify five things you can see (such as sticky notes on your desk), four things you can touch (such as the feeling of your keyboard), three things you can hear (such as the sound of typing), two things you can smell (such as your coworker’s coffee), and one thing you can taste (such as whatever you ate for lunch).
Maintain Healthy Habits
Physical health affects mental health, so simple habits like getting enough sleep, opting for healthier snacks, getting enough exercise, and limiting your caffeine intake can help reduce your anxiety levels.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Many of us find that it’s easy to procrastinate on dreaded yet important projects by distracting ourselves with more menial tasks, like constantly checking and responding to emails. By creating a to-do list that prioritizes tasks based on how urgent and important they are, you may be able to prevent the anxiety of having to rush to complete major assignments at the last minute.
Organize Your Workspace
A cluttered workspace can contribute to stressful thoughts and anxious feelings. Sometimes, simply tidying up your desk and reorganizing your files can help you feel less stressed and thus less prone to anxiety.
Set Boundaries With Coworkers
Office politics and drama between coworkers can be a significant source of anxiety for everybody, but even more so for people who struggle with generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety. Unfortunately, we are not always able to control how others treat us, but we can sometimes set healthy boundaries to minimize the negative emotions that come up when coworkers try to dodge their own responsibilities or push us outside our comfort zones.
Learning how to say respectfully and assertively no to unreasonable demands from coworkers can help reduce your overall anxiety and stress levels, especially if you currently have a people-pleasing habit. This can be a really challenging technique to practice at first, so many find it helpful to first practice identifying and setting boundaries in the comfort of a therapist’s office.
Talk To A Therapist
One of the best ways to manage work-related anxiety is to speak with a professional therapist. She can help guide you through the techniques mentioned above and teach you additional strategies tailored to your unique situation.
Work Anxiety Counselor In Southern California
Dr. Taji Huang has over a decade of experience treating anxiety of all different types, and that includes support in coping with workplace anxiety. If you’re struggling to focus at work or feeling overwhelmed, you can learn the skills that will make your day-to-day life better. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.