How To Lower Your Anxiety Levels as a Leader

I literally feel like this image is of me most days believe it or not. I suffer from anxiety and I know many of us do as we coach leaders who share their struggles with it daily. Anxiety and/or stress can be a leader’s worst enemy. Anxiety has a way of taking its toll on your body by clouding your mind, affecting your judgment, making you doubt yourself and causing depression. We’ve all felt the burden of anxiety at some point in our lives, whether it’s due to bills piling up, losing staff members to other employers, studying for that big exam or even speaking at an event.

Ever since COVID-19 threw the world into turmoil and chaos, many leaders are finding that their anxiety is getting progressively worse. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Stress is a response to a threat in a situation. Anxiety is a reaction to the stress.” In fact, anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States and affects more than 40 million adults each year.

An estimated 284 million people across the world have had an anxiety disorder as of 2017, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which makes it the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide. Workplace data from Mind Share Partners, SAP, and Qualtrics states that 37% of workplace respondents reported symptoms of anxiety in the past year. A study published in PLOS One has also revealed that a leader’s tweets can influence the anxiety of their employees.

Many successful leaders, past and present, have responded to stress and anxiety by working harder and clocking in more overtime. These same leaders get upset over the most minor of mistakes and feel like they aren’t working hard enough. This is not the healthy way to cope with anxiety. What’s worse is that the leader’s team members will feel this anxiety as well, they will feel like they are not good enough or aren’t working as hard as they should be. This causes stressful and toxic work environments.

So, what can you do about those rising anxiety levels?

1.???Positive Mindset

Misery loves company and the same goes for anxiety. I know it’s easier said than done, but if you adopt a positive mindset, you are more likely to be able to stop those negative thoughts. Some experts have even said that practicing optimism can help reduce anxiety. Instead of jumping on your phone first thing in the morning when you wake up, tell yourself positive affirmations while you brush your teeth, eat a good hearty breakfast, keep a diary and stop over-analysing and overthinking. It’s not good for you.

2.???Focus on your strengths

Play to your strengths! Have a think about what you are good at. You may be a brilliant communicator, a star negotiator or creative with words. So instead of focusing on the negatives, focus on your talents and your skills. You might even want to improve your talent further with a university or TAFE course. So, when you find yourself reverting back to those negative thoughts, think about what you do right.

3.???Find a way to beat stress – selfcare

Always remember to take time out of your day for some self-care, because you deserve it. I’m not talking about hour-long massages or trips to the Hamptons, I’m talking about the small things that you can do throughout the day. Maybe pack yourself your favourite lunch, make a cup of tea, have a bath, light a candle, have a decent night’s sleep or read a book. Practising self-care will reduce anxiety and in some cases stop it before it even starts.

4.???Gratitude

Be grateful for what you have by keeping a gratitude journal. Every day, write down five things that you are grateful for and you will be surprised how this changes your mindset on a daily basis. Be grateful to your team for the work they do, make sure you thank them personally or thank everyone in a group at the next staff meeting. This will encourage a positive working environment.

5.???Be you

We all worry about what other people think of us. We may even change aspects of ourselves or the way we do things to suit these people. Well, I’m here to tell you, don’t worry about what they think, worry about yourself. You are amazing just the way you are and if someone tells you to change who you are, just ignore them, they have bigger problems. As a leader, be yourself.

By?Sonia McDonald ?– CEO of?LeadershipHQ ?And?McDonald Inc. ?Leadership Coach, Global Keynote Speaker, Entrepreneur, CEO And Award Winning Author.

Sonia McDonald is changing the face of leadership across the globe. She believes we should lead with kindness and courage, from the heart, and is known for her mantra ‘Just Lead’. She leads by example in all these areas and through her transformational coaching, leadership training programs and cultural transformation for organisations and encourages others to do the same. Sonia has helped thousands of people on their leadership journey to become the best version of themselves and in turn, inspire and bring out the best in others.

Sonia is a founder and CEO of?McDonald Inc .,?LeadershipHQ ?and?Global Outstanding Leadership Awards ?and?Conference . For more than 25 years, Sonia has been on the front lines of leadership and she is beyond committed to her mission around building a world of great leaders.

She has held leadership positions worldwide and through experience, research and study come to realise what it takes to be a truly great leader. She has been recognised by Richtopia as One of the Top 250 Influential Women across the Globe and Top 100 Australian Entrepreneurs.

Sonia has an ability to speak bravely and authentically about her own development as a leader, personal and career challenges in a way which resonates with her audience. She is a leading coach, an award-winning published author of newly released?First Comes Courage, Leadership Attitude and Just Rock It! ?and has become an in-demand keynote speaker on leadership, kindness and courage.

Sonia has become recognised for her commentary around the topic of leadership, kindness, empathy and courage as well as building outstanding leadership across the Globe.?