Workplace anxiety: What to do when it comes knocking?

Workplace anxiety isn’t just the nervous energy you get when you’re trying to meet sales targets, give a presentation, or meet a deadline, it can be so much more than that. In simple terms, it’s when the stress never really goes away. It’s when you can’t switch off, no matter what you do, and you’re stuck in a cycle of worry, always anticipating your biggest work-related fear becoming reality.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Before we dive deeper into how this anxiety manifests, let’s understand the human ‘stress response’.

Anxiety as a stress response

The fight, flight, or freeze response is a natural, evolutionary mechanism that kicks in when we perceive a sense of danger or threat. It prepares our body to either confront the danger (fight), run away from it (flight), or become immobile (freeze). All of us have subjective responses to stressful situations as it shows up.

Anxiety, in essence, is a prolonged state of the fight, flight, or freeze response. It results from being stuck in this heightened state of alertness where the body doesn’t return to a relaxed state after the crisis has passed. 

Imagine you’re constantly stressed about an upcoming project presentation. Your body may tense up, your heart rate may increase, and your thoughts may become scattered. This happens because the brain and body are preparing for immediate danger, even though the threat isn’t physical or life-threatening.

While this response is designed to be temporary and helpful in dangerous situations, in the workplace, it can be triggered by non-life-threatening stressors like high-pressure deadlines, difficult team members, or an individual’s dispositional anxiety (individual lived experiences of anxiety) such as fear of failure. When we frequently find ourselves in this prolonged state, it leads to long-term workplace anxiety.

How do we address anxiety?

Managing workplace anxiety starts with

• Understanding your triggers and developing healthy coping strategies. 

• Taking adequate breaks, and managing time effectively to alleviate immediate stress. 
• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and sufficient sleep to help reduce overall anxiety levels.
• Talking to a therapist/mental health professional can provide emotional support and valuable insights into invisible patterns reinforcing anxiety. 

Many workplaces also offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) that provide confidential counselling and support services.  A study by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in India found that nearly 80% of people suffering from mental health issues delay seeking treatment due to stigma, even after being ill for over a year. 

Before we place the onus on the individual to manage their work-related anxieties, it is important we address the root cause. These root causes, if not weeded out, can perpetuate the problem further. This may involve identifying and addressing factors like excessive workload, unreasonable deadlines, or unhealthy work environments where harassment is normalised.

Echoing the findings of the classic Hawthorne Study by Elton Mayo in 1924, it becomes clear that worker productivity is influenced by more than just physical conditions like lighting or work hours. As we know today, when managers acknowledge employees’ efforts and show genuine concern for their well-being, it significantly promotes employee motivation and productivity.

Ensuring psychological safety as a norm takes a top-down and bottom-up approach. Encouraging open communication and providing opportunities for employees to express their concerns can help create a safe and supportive space. In addition, offering flexible work arrangements, including hybrid or remote work, flexible hours, and other resources like mental health support can reduce stress and improve work-life balance.