There are many statistics on stress load and anxiety at work; for example, individuals experiencing at least mild anxiety in the workplace, at around 60%, over half of the working population! Even more so, individuals experiencing moderate to high-stress levels are at about 76%.
We as a country are generalising stress and anxiety as something that comes with working, and this is not the right way to go about it; this is not the standard way to work; it is said that in any given week in England, 6 out of 100 people are diagnosed with a generalised anxiety disorder (Mind.co.uk), and less than half are accessing treatment.
What to look out for
Here we have some things to look out for when you are feeling overwhelmed:
We have split this into three parts, physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and behavioural symptoms.
Starting with physical symptoms, these are where you can see the characteristics of these symptoms:
- Fatigue – feeling tired more frequently
- Headaches
- Sleeping differently – this can be sleeping too much or too little
- Heart palpitations
Psychological symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritability
- The feeling of being overwhelmed
Behavioural:
- Being more absent
- Reduced interest in the things you usually enjoy
- Reduced work performance
- Mood swings
Managing anxiety in the workplace
Trying to manage anxiety in the workplace is vital, as it may get even worse, and people become burnt out! Burnout is when you feel extreme mental and physical exhaustion from being exposed to too much stress.
We have researched some tips and tricks to lower anxiety in the workplace:
- Write down the things you stress about – having notes of what it is that is upsetting/bothering you can help you find the reoccurring culprits. This can include writing down the people, places, or events you feel have added to the anxiety.
- Take your annual leave – Did you know there is a phobia of taking yearly leave called FOTAL (Fear Of Taking Annual Leave)? It would be a great idea to speak to your line manager to get the reassurance of not having more work piled up when you return. This should be managed by the team around you.
- Use any tools your organisation has for mental health – talking to someone is very important, and you should speak up where you feel comfortable.
- Modify your work environment – speak to your manager to see if there is a way to give you a working environment that suits you and how you feel.
Managers tips!
This one is for the managers! We have some tips and tricks to help support your employees and keep them as happy and productive as ever.
- Look at your colleague’s demands – what is their workload like? Is their work pattern suitable? Do they have a work environment that they feel comfortable in and enjoy the team they work in?
- How you can control – Look into how you manage their work and what they say they have. No one wants to be micro-managed; they want to be trusted, and that is in the way you control your work life. Finding the right balance will help your colleagues gain your trust and have a happier attitude towards work.
- Make sure colleagues understand their roles – what is expected of them, give regular updates and ask how they find the work they are doing regularly. This can be done by regular 1 to 1s.
- Figure out how change is managed and communicated around the workplace – advising on the difference as soon as possible rather than leaving it till the last minute.
- Speak to the leader of your organisation to start mental health sessions for colleagues if you don’t already do so, as well as having mental first-aiders and getting the proper mental health training to help anyone suffering.
We hope this blog helped you, and if you need any further advice or you need to speak to someone, please get in contact with one of the helplines here.
Explore our Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Programme framework here.
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