Workplace
anxiety broadly refers to work-related stress that causes anxiety, or the
impact of having a diagnosed anxiety disorder at work.

Regardless of
the source, addressing anxiety at work can lead to more positive outcomes for
both employees and employers.

Similar to
general anxiety, symptoms of workplace anxiety can include the following:

• Excessive worrying
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Racing heartbeat
• Dry mouth
• Feeling jittery
• Difficulty focusing 

Employees
struggling with workplace anxiety may also exhibit the following behaviors:

• Decreased performance and
  productivity
• Increased number of sick days or
  time away from work
• Appearing disengaged or struggling
  to meet goals

Anxiety at work
can be vastly different from one person to the next. However, long work hours,
high-stress situations, or feeling a lack of support from managers and
coworkers can heighten anxious feelings. Giving presentations, tight deadlines,
or being tasked with a big project are other anxiety-producing situations.

HOW CAN I
COMBAT ANXIETY AT WORK?

If you are
feeling anxious or stressed at work, try the following tips:

• Organize your physical workspace. If you’re dealing with a
  cluttered desk, unfiled documents, and more open internet browsers than you
  can count, it’s time to take a break and get organized. Cleaning up your
  physical work environment can do wonders for clearing an overwhelmed mind.

• ​Be honest and ask for
  help. If you do not have the time or bandwidth to take on that
  huge new project without sacrificing your mental health, speak up and be
  honest about what you can handle. Letting your peers or manager know that
  you need help early on is better than missing a deadline later. Having
  regular 1:1 meetings with your manager can also ensure that your workload
  is being discussed regularly, helping to increase transparency and avoid
  surprises.

• Recognize small wins. Sometimes we are so focused
  on moving from one task to the next, we forget to celebrate our
  accomplishments. Before diving into your next project, take a minute to
  reflect on the items you’ve completed so far.

• Plan ahead. Big projects with multiple
  components and deadlines can be overwhelming. Divide larger tasks into
  smaller, more manageable steps and tackle them one at a time.

• Avoid negativity. Listening to others complain
  can make you feel even worse so steer clear of negative conversations and
  focus on the control you have to complete your own work.

• Take breaks. Time for yourself is vital.
  Get outside, exercise, call a friend, read, or utilize your vacation days
  if you need more time to reset. 

• Lend a hand. If you are not personally
  struggling but notice that your colleague is showing signs of anxiety,
  check in with them, offer to help and/or bring the issue to their
  manager’s attention. Caring for each other is a team effort.  

While this list
is not exhaustive, hopefully applying a few of these tips to your daily routine
will provide some relief.