How to Cope with Generalized Anxiety Disorder at Work Social Anxiety Disorder?
Not everybody with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is able to cope with their anxiety at work. A lot of people find it difficult to overly worry about different day-to-day work-related or even personal life problems while attempting to get their jobs done.
This type of anxiety is debilitating and much more than one would expect from simple problems. It often also contributes to physical symptoms that can make work unhappy.
Work Anxiety
People with generalized anxiety disorder may experience anxiety about any of the following when they experience anxiety in the office or at work:
- Concerns about driving to work;
- Worries about work tasks;
- Family concerns;
- Money worries;
- Health Issues.
Anxiety work-related Issues
These concerns can lead to the following problems at work (among others):
- Inability to focus;
- Inability to focus / excessive self-focus;
- Not meeting deadlines / too long to do something;
- Physical issues (body problems) such as tension, headaches, the feeling of pressure, dizziness, and upset stomach;
- Forgetfulness;
- sick days / lost productivity;
- Side effect on family life;
Tips to overcome
Dealing with stress at work is possible. Below are a few tips that will help you manage your anxiety at work.
Talk to your manager
Not everyone is comfortable with this, but talking to your manager or supervisor about your anxiety disorder can help. You could be offered housing that will help you do your job better.
Some people might not tell the supervisor from fear that they will be weak or unwilling to work, lose out on promotions, or have this on your permanent record.
Ultimately, however, you cannot be discriminated against because of your anxiety disorder. The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA) protects you from discrimination as long as you have the right to perform your job and can perform duties with reasonable accommodations.
Tell a colleague
If you tell a colleague how you’re feeling, there will be someone at work who knows what you are going through and might have the ability to aid you in the right direction.
Work within your limits
Understand the constraints that your anxiety disorder has placed on you and learn to work within them. Take a break when you need to. Take a walk or go on vacation for a few days. Concentrate on one task at a time and try to not think beforehand about everything that needs to be done. Listen to music at work, if allowed, and if it helps you cope. Set small, frequent time frames to focus.
Be careful
If you find yourself losing concentration and sinking into anxiety, practice mindfulness. Become an observer of your surroundings and refocus on the present. Try mindfulness meditation or any other practice that teaches you to go back to the present.
Good health practice
Although GAD can lead to insomnia, do your best to stick to a normal sleep/wake cycle.
When you can not handle?
Still, discovering that you can not deal with general anxiety on the job? Ask yourself the following questions.
First, have you been diagnosed and treated? If you just have a vague idea that something isn’t right, but you have not seen a doctor yet, now’s the time. Obtaining a diagnosis and treatment, such as therapy or treatment, should be your first step if a critical concern is interfering with your ability to get the job done.
Second, if you’ve tried everything else and can’t handle the job, have you considered applying for disability benefits until you improve? This is not a sign of shame or failure. Perhaps you just require time to deal with your anxiety and then re-enter the workforce from a stronger position.
Word from Verywell
If you have taken the steps above to remove your anxiety at work but still have not felt any improvement, that could also be the reason that your job is not very acceptable for you. You may want to consider career advice or a career coach who will conduct an assessment to determine the professions that you’re most likely to enjoy and in which you can excel.
