9 Ways On How To Reduce Anxiety At Work This Year

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Work-related anxiety is an epidemic, honestly. SOOO many people struggle with anxious thoughts and anxiety at work. With professional help and these tips that I’m going to give, you are going to LOVE working and feel a million times more fulfilled. 

I have struggled with anxiety at work since I started working at 16 years old. It was always scary to put myself out there in a way and let people judge me on what I was doing. If I didn’t do well one day, I was always so nervous that my coworkers would hate me!

This post is all about improving your anxiety at work!!

Managing Anxiety At Work Tips And Tricks

1. Keep Snacks On Hand

These Nugo Dark Chocolate Pretzel protein bars are my absolute favorite to keep in my car for quick calories, protein, and a little bit of sugar. Sometimes all you need is a little boost of food to help you with your anxiety. 

Remember that if you are starting to get angry out of nowhere, then you’re probably hungry and just need a snack. Anger can trigger anxiety, so take care of your body and eat!

2. Watch Out For Your Anxiety Triggers

At work, my biggest triggers are getting in trouble, doing something wrong, and yelling. When I notice any of these things I immediately get anxious and need to take a moment to assess the situation. 

For many people, public speaking is something that increases stress levels. The physical symptoms of anxiety tend to arise when these triggers come up. 

My Recommendations:

• Stay in the present moment and notice when your anxiety starts to rise and do whatever you can to accommodate your triggers. 
• Make a to-do list when you can’t avoid your triggers so then you can work without overthinking. 

3. Know The Different Types Of Anxiety

Every type of anxiety has different approaches and ways of improvement. For example, the first step for approaching social anxiety is to get to know your coworkers better and understand their ticks. This has worked amazing for me!

If you are anxious about performance, ask yourself why. If it is because you want to do well for yourself then find ways that will satisfy your need for accomplishment. If you want to do good to impress your boss/bosses then try having a meeting with them and discussing how you can improve and what their expectations are. Having clear expectations and reasonable expectations can make all the difference!

My Recommendations:

• First, have a meeting with a supervisor to explain your anxiety and what you can clear up about expectations. Maybe they can take some things off of your plate or give you solutions to make tasks easier.
• Second, take notes on things that are stressing you out throughout the day and sit down after work and see what can be fixed and if you can talk to your coworkers about it!

4. Are You At A New Job? Be Friendly To Everyone

Find the team members you can trust, a trusted coworker can make all the difference in your day and how you feel. My best girlfriend is a co-worker and it makes my work life so much more enriched and productive. We can bounce ideas off of each other, help each other with our heavy workload, and encourage others to be the best they can be. 

Get out of your comfort zone and compliment people! When you see someone wearing shoes that you like, let them know! When someone looks cute that day, let them know! Being kind will make you feel more comfortable talking to people and no one is going to be mad if you complement them…

My Recommendations:

• Keep an ongoing list on your phone of conversations you have with people on your phone so you can reference them later, especially if you forget lots of things.
• If you know a lot about cars, start complementing specific things about their cars! Follow what you know about and compliment people on those things!

5. Improve Your Workplace Performance

Job performance can be a huge issue for people who believe they are not meeting expectations. 

The biggest thing you should do is look to see if there are any courses you can take or get any advice from coworkers and bosses to see what you can improve. There are so many resources that can make you more successful, to be part of the top performers, you need to take advantage of these!

My Recommendations:

• Here is a book all about increasing your efficiency and your work performance! It has great reviews on Amazon, and it is a staple for anyone who is reaching for higher goals.
• Learn more about the field you are working in! When you have anxiety at work, it can be essential to feel competent and like you are staying up to date in meetings and conversations. I am interested in going into the financial sector, so here is my favorite book that I have read about finance and interest rates.

6. Take Short Breaks At Regular Intervals

When I am at work, we get two 15-minute paid breaks and one 30-minute unpaid lunch. Since it is an eight-hour shift, I like to take a break every 2 hours. I always watch the clock and when another 2 hours have passed, I say “Hey, I’m gonna take my 15/30!”

Trying to take a break every two hours is a really good goal. If you are just getting started building up your working time, set a goal to work for 30 minutes at a time. Then increase it to 45 minutes, 1 hour, etc.

My Recommendations:

• If you work a desk job, a digital clock can help you remember to take regular breaks! Here is the digital clock I use because it is cute and affordable!
• Keep your breaks short and sweet, don’t go over 15 minutes for a regular break, and 30 minutes to eat.

7. Prioritize Getting Enough Sleep

With anxiety at work, it might affect your sleep in a negative way. Thinking about work and workplace relationships when you are at home can cause you to get less sleep which can then in turn cause more anxiety!!

Really prioritize your sleep and get plenty of it every night. It can be tempting to spend your out of work time doing all the things you wish you could do instead of working, but sleep is going to be your best friend for improving your anxiety.

My Recommendations:

• I HIGHLY recommend listening to audible and setting a 30-minute timer so it will automatically turn off. By the time those 30 minutes are up, then you will have sat still for that long anyway and you will be sleepy. When you are listening to a book, it can be difficult to hear if you move around, so you won’t want to!
• I am IN LOVE with these Olly Kids Sleep melatonin gummies! They are so delicious and they contain l-theanine which my therapist has recommended to me for calming.

8. Find Your Sources Of Work-Related Stress

The root of your anxiety might be major projects, social interactions, or a big presentation; no matter what it is, you need to identify it so you can watch out for warning signs. 

Once you have identified the root of your stress, you will be able to find ways to avoid them if you can!

My Recommendations:

• Talk with your boss and see if there are ways to reduce stress around certain aspects of your job. They may be able to take away some responsibility or give you some words of encouragement that can go a long way!
• Once you have identified your pain points, then you can start doing research on those things and how to become better at them or reduce stress around them.

9. Try Out Mindfulness Meditation

When being mindful, your mind goes to a different place and becomes a million times happier. Honestly, you have to try out meditation if you haven’t already. It has completely changed my life and it slows down my days. I feel like my days are more fulfilling and last longer than the days when I miss my meditation.

You would recognize the effects of meditation if you have ever spent a work break sitting in silence versus on your phone. When you spend your break reading or listening to music, it feels like the break lasts HOURS. But if you scroll on TikTok it would feel like minutes. It is the same with meditation. Life feels like you have more time in your day!

My Recommendation:

• I LOVE the calm app!! I am sure that if you have anxiety then you have heard of the calm app, but it is truly amazing for people just starting to get into it. Here is my link to the Calm app that will get you 30 days free! So try it out and let me know how it goes!
• Sit in silence for 5 minutes and just focus on your breathing. If you start to think anxious thoughts or thoughts about anything other than your breathing, take another deep breathe, acknowledge the thought, and then tell it goodbye. Think of it as a passing ship on the sea. It came, and then it was gone.

This post was all about Managing Anxiety At Work!