How to deal with Anxiety in your workplace

Author: Gillian Anderson - Service & Training Consultant at Oriental Signature

How to deal with Anxiety in your workplace

In fast-paced working environments, including corporate aviation and hospitality, you cannot ignore the existence of workplace anxiety. The range of anxiety traits and spectrums can be very varied, and whilst it would be hard to explore them all, we will look to examine how you can personally deal with anxiety and how an employer can support their team.

Personal Approaches will vary from one person to the next depending on whether you are feeling anxiety from task overload, confidence, workplace conflict or an anxiety disorder. However, there are some things that can help alleviate your anxiety:

-??????Plan and prepare. The more prepared you are, the calmer you will feel. Make sure you have back ups of any work you need, have alternative plans or suggestions to proposals, practice presentations or discussions with someone you are comfortable with.

-??????Break down your tasks, in a way that works for you. This can be as simple as a list, the use of a Gantt chart for long term projects if you are more visual, or pairing up with a colleague who has some experience and can guide you through a particular point.

-??????Ask your peers for feedback, often anxiety develops if we are not sure if we are doing the right thing. Schedule time with a colleague, or manager to discuss what you have been doing, even an informal break and use each other as a sound board for your progress.

-??????Have a support system to act as a safety net, tell someone how you feel so they can recognize when you need help coping.

Even if you have incorporated these into your working practice, sometimes the feelings may overwhelm you and you may need quick methods to help. Things you can try include:

-??????Deep Breathing. Stop, slow down, clear your mind and just focus on breathing in and out. Once your heart has stopped racing you go back to adjusting your plan, tasks or talk to your support network;

-??????Take a walk, even for 5 minutes, outside your workspace. A change of scenery and some fresh air, can help remove yourself from the situation for you to re-examine your perspective;

-??????Grounding, that is using visual, cognitive or tactile methods to refocus your thoughts and away from what is making you anxious. Make a list of things you see in the room, induce mindful meditation, or you can use other senses of touch or smell to associate calmer feelings with the object you are holding or the scent you inhale.

Even with these techniques having a support inside or outside work, personal or professional is important to help you deal with overwhelming emotions.

Employers you also have a big part to play in creating a culture and environment of support that can help recognize this and provide opportunities for everyone to feel more secure in their role for their own benefit and for the professional success of your business.

If you have a colleague displaying symptoms of anxiety, that means you, as an employer or leader, may not have done enough to support, train or examine your workplace dynamic.

They may even be one of your highest performers, since those who recognize and manage their anxiety will often plan well, be extremely prepared and approach projects harmoniously to reduce group conflict.

We need to change the negative perception often given to someone with anxiety, as that person could probably be your biggest indication of whether you have a professional, successful workplace culture.

As an Employer, or leader, your approach is key and if they have felt comfortable to tell you about it, you are already doing something right. Additionally, you can:

-??????Create an open environment for all employees to discuss their feelings

-??????Create channels to support your employees. This can be done through

o??peer support groups to help individuals and working relationships;

o??One-on-one feedback sessions, and this can be informal just to check in, a weekly or daily catch-up meeting;

o??Social and collaborate learning platforms for employees to discuss work case scenarios to share coping methods or approaches from different viewpoints;

o??Coaching or mentoring program to assist with personal and professional goals;

o??provide access to training that support continuous professional development, such as in EQ or AQ.

-??????Most importantly, don’t forget to praise your team when they have done a great job. Don’t underestimate performance recognition, a little thanks goes a long way!

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Oriental signature provides courses both to help those want to build confidence and improve their professionalism and for those leaders and potential leaders who want to excel by leading a team to excellence.?