Anxiety at Work

Anxiety, especially social anxiety, can have detrimental effects in all parts of one’s life, however, anxiety can be very devastating when it comes to the workplace. Social anxiety can be detrimental in that one becomes constantly consumed with thoughts of how others are perceiving him or her and finds it difficult, if not impossible, to focus on the work at hand.

How do people deal with anxiety at work? Many articles written on the Anxiety Support Network advocate for a long-term multidisciplinary approach (see A Multidisciplinary Approach and the Anxiety Bible) that includes combining many different approaches such as regular exercise, talking to a supportive social network, counseling, medication, and an anxiety-reducing diet (see Tips for an Anxiety-Friendly Diet). In the long-term (long-term here means two to three years or so), using this approach will greatly reduce one’s anxiety permanently so that the person is able to function effectively without much help from others.

But, what about people who need to stay at work who may face being evicted from their apartment or some other dire consequence should they choose to leave work? These people are in a tough spot. One method may be to try to go to the company Employee Assistance Program and seek out counseling. However, EAPs force the employee to see the counselor of the company’s choice, and this counselor may or may not be helpful.

Another option, and this is one of those exceptions to the general overarching rule, would be to see a doctor and explore the possibility of medication. Medication can be very helpful in the short term as it helps to reduce symptoms so that life is at least bearable, but it usually ceases to work in the long term and it can have more negative side effects than positive side effects. The general rule is to avoid taking medication, but sometimes it is a great short-term solution, and this might certainly be one of those situations.

Another option to explore is to tell the employer about one’s anxiety struggles. Employers are hit-and-miss in this respect. Some employers are very open and accepting of the different personal struggles of people, while others are not; each workplace has its own culture. Generally, if the supervisor seems to be an open person who encourages dialogue with employees, this would be a good opportunity to talk about one’s anxiety. If the supervisor is really a “boss” who simply orders people around and tells them what to do, he or she is usually more interested in power and control, not people and what goes on in their private lives; this would be a good time to refrain from sharing personal information with the employer.

A final point to consider is that if one is stuck in a job where his or her struggles are not respected, or in a job whose tasks and coworkers always make the person anxious (for legitimate reasons and not anxious reasons), it may be a good idea to leave the job or switch careers. Leaving a job or switching careers, if one is in the wrong profession, will make one very happy and fulfilled once he or she finds his or her true calling. An infinite number of dynamics exist within each and every person and work environment such that it is very difficult to give a rule or guideline as to when switching jobs or careers is the right move. However, if a boss simply will not respect the fact that someone struggles with anxiety, it would be wise to leave that job. Or, if the work bores one to tears or stresses one out to the max, it might be a good job to leave and let someone else fill.

The reader is strongly encouraged to be fearless and very thorough in this respect. Make a careful and thoughtful decisions about anxiety in the workplace, but do what feels right. This will lead to the most happiness, fulfillment, and enjoyability one can find in life. Good luck to those out there seeking anxiety support and recovery from social anxiety!

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