Struggling with anxiety at work? Here are 5 things that worked for me

A few weeks ago I wrote a post thanking my manager and team for their support as I struggled with a bad bout of anxiety. I got a wave of positive feedback and a few people reached out directly online or in person to say they also struggle with anxiety, so I'm back with a few more thoughts.

This ended up longer than I expected because I wanted to share my journey, but if you're pressed for time just scroll to the bottom for my specific tips!

You're not alone

Any mental struggle feels incredibly isolating, but anxiety is one of the most common experiences in the world. About 15% of Canadian adults and 19% of US adults are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD), but during the pandemic one-third of Canadians reported feeling a high level of anxiety.

Personally, I've struggled with anxiety my whole adult life. The first serious episode I remember was in under-grad at university. I had a particularly bad period in 2014, when I was struggling in a job that was a poor fit. While my direct manager was very supportive, the company leadership had unrealistic expectations for a solo editor and journalist and I was working 10-12 hour days to try to catch up and keep up. In hindsight, my anxiety was a huge challenge and I should have talked to my family doctor... but I didn't have a family doctor at the time and I felt like I should be able to cope with this overwhelming feeling. Everyone around me was fine, so why wasn't I? Eventually I changed jobs and my anxiety slowly got better, although it never fully went away.

Seeking help

In 2018 I experienced my worst bout of anxiety to date. I was sleeping 3-5 hours a night, usually in two blocks - waking up in the middle of the night to toss and turn for a few hours before finally drifting off again. I'd been in therapy for about two years at this stage, but none of my coping mechanisms were working. I went to a walk in clinic near my apartment and talked to the doctor about my symptoms.

Despite my best efforts to avoid being "high maintenance" by downplaying my symptoms and suggesting that I "just needed a good night's sleep", the doctor suggested I start using SSRIs. It took a few months to find the drug and dose that worked for me but when we hit the right combination I was amazed by how good I felt. Did other people feel like this all the time? I felt like I had climbed a mountain only to look around and realize some people took the gondola to the top.

Coming off meds

By 2021 I felt like I had been stable for a few years and wanted to try life without medication. Unfortunately, the middle of a global pandemic seemed like a bad time to try and taper!

In June 2022 I started weaning myself off my medication. Because I was on two different drugs and my doctor recommended waiting a month between coming off one and starting to wean the other, it was the end of September before I was completely off all the medication. Then I needed to see how my body would react. My doctor warned me that the first month or so could be volatile but that didn't mean I was prepared for the return of my anxiety.

Hello Anxiety, my old friend

About 10 days after taking my last dose of medication, my anxiety returned with a vengeance. Over four years I had forgotten just how bad it felt. However, I found my coping mechanisms held up really well. I was still sleeping well, I made sure to eat on a schedule so I didn't skip meals, and I put some processes in place at work to keep me on track there. I was hopeful that this was just a phase, a reaction from my brain to the sudden lack of serotonin.

I had already told my manager and team that I was coming off my anxiety medication so I had no concerns about telling them how I was feeling. Being able to disclose at work is scary, but it can make such a difference to the level of support available. It's up to every individual to figure out if disclosure is right for them but if you think your manager and employer will be compassionate then I highly recommend it.

Reaching the other side

After two and a half weeks, which felt like three months, my anxiety started to subside. While it's higher than it was on medication, it's now truly manageable. The mental and physical symptoms are now low level and I'm not struggling day to day the way I was. There was no magic cure, just time. I was determined to wait the month or two that my doctor recommended to see if I could find a new equilibrium, and I am still open to going back on medication if my anxiety becomes unmanageable again. Before I do that, I want to try a few different approaches - some new types of therapy, a mindfulness meditation course and so on.

How I cope at work when my anxiety is high

1. Clarify your priorities

A hallmark of anxiety is that every feels urgent. Talk to your manager or team about what the most important tasks are for your day or week and put them at the top of your list. I find that if there's a big task I don't want to do then I'll end up spending two hours organizing my email inbox. It still counts as work even if it doesn't count towards my objectives, right? By being totally clear on my priorities, I know in what order I need to tackle my tasks.

2. Set realistic daily goals

Don't try to lasso the moon - pick 2-3 tasks that you can realistically get done today and put them on your list. I like to block my time in my calendar so I stay on task. It's easy when you're anxious to try to do everything at once but that way lies chaos and tears. Instead, estimate how much time each task will take you and pick 4-6 hours of tasks for today depending on how many meetings you have.

3. Find an accountability buddy

My anxiety comes with a big side serving of procrastination. If I don't know how to do a task perfectly then I just don't start. The best way I've found for overcoming this is to find an accountability buddy. At the end of each day, send your teammate or manager a list of a) what you did that day and b) what you plan to do tomorrow. It's ok if you don't get everything done on the list, but having that check in helps motivate me to start tasks that I might otherwise put off.

4. Ask for constructive feedback

Anxiety lies. It tells you that your work isn't good enough, even though it was good enough last week and last month and last year. So ask a teammate to take a look at your work and offer some feedback - good and bad. This will reassure you that your work is to a high standard and can highlight if you have rushed anything.

5. Take regular breaks (get outside if you can!)

Because everything is overwhelming, it's easy to work through your breaks and stay at your computer for hours at a time. Schedule breaks to get away from your computer, including trying to get out of the building once a day for a short walk. Some people use the Pomodoro Technique for this, which can help you regulate your time. There are lots of online timers that can help you stay consistent with this approach.

If you've experienced anxiety, what has helped you?