Do anxious feelings tend to bubble up suddenly while youre at work? Do you get nervous just thinking about your job? Does your mood change come Monday morning, or Sunday evening, for that matter?
If your anxiety revolves around work, you might be experiencing workplace anxiety, also known as work stress. And youre most certainly not alone.
According to Mental Health Americas 2021 Mind the Workplace report, almost 83 percent of respondents felt emotionally drained from their work. And 85 percent or nearly 9 in 10 workers reported that job stress affected their mental health.
Of course, you dont need to go into an office or job site to experience workplace anxiety. You can experience these feelings when working from home, too. (Zoom anxiety, anyone?)
But the situation is far from hopeless. Heres everything you need to know about workplace anxiety, along with practical strategies for reducing and managing work stress.
First, its not always easy to tell whether youre experiencing workplace anxiety or symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
The tell-tale sign? Your anxiety is limited to work.
Annia Palacios, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with Tightrope Therapy, offers a few key signs of workplace anxiety:
How do you know when your symptoms might relate to generalized anxiety disorder or another anxiety condition?
Anxiety disorder symptoms are persistent, consistent, and negatively affect several aspects of your life, says Emme Smith, a licensed psychotherapist and CEO of GraySpace Counseling Group.
The key difference between the two, explains Alexandra Finkel, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist and co-founder of Kind Minds Therapy, is that workplace anxiety generally develops in response to stress at work. An anxiety disorder, on the other hand, tends to develop, and persist, regardless of your work circumstances.
Learn more about the signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Workplace anxiety can involve a wide range of symptoms.
According to Palacios, you might:
You might also experience a sense of dread when you think about going to work and feel overwhelmed once you get there, says Boone Christianson, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and author of the book 101 Therapy Talks.
Workplace anxiety can involve physical symptoms, too. These might include:
A number of factors can contribute to workplace anxiety, and these can vary from person to person.
For example, says Palacios, work stress may stem from:
According to Kimberly Wilson, PhD, LMFT, an organizational psychologist and therapist, you could also develop workplace anxiety if your job:
In some cases, your work stress can also have a deeper, more subtle underlying cause or contributing factor.
For example, says Christianson, maybe youve had negative experiences in the past with making phone calls, or your boss reminds you of your dad. Maybe your college professors harsh criticism sharpened your sensitivity to any kind of feedback on writing-related tasks.
As Palacios also points out, being an anxious person or having a pre-existing anxiety disorder can make us more likely to experience workplace-specific anxiety.
For example, she notes, if you already live with anxiety you might go straight to the worst-case scenario. Consequently, your workplace might become a significant source of stress if you (mistakenly) assume:
Workplace anxiety can feel overwhelming and unrelenting. But with a few small steps, you can successfully overcome or manage your work stress.
The triggers of work stress arent always obvious. Writing out moments when you feel nervous throughout the day will help you find patterns or triggers, says Smith.
Maybe you regularly feel nervous and nauseous before weekly team meetings, or you have trouble concentrating on anything after you encounter one specific co-worker.
Identifying specific situations that increase your stress levels can help you figure out the best strategy to handle them going forward.
Worry in the form of what-ifs is a common type of workplace anxiety, says Max Maisel, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in anxiety disorders and OCD.
To better understand whats going on and explore possible solutions, you can try asking yourself questions about those what-ifs until youve uncovered your core fear. Maisel suggests Why is that a bad thing? and What does this mean about me? as good questions to start with.
How do you know youve found your core fear?
Typically, its when you can no longer ask Why is this a bad thing? or you feel a gut sense that you hit on something viscerally important, says Maisel.
When youve reached that place, he suggests acknowledging the story without assuming its true and then thanking your mind for trying to protect you.
From there, you can gently challenge the fear by asking yourself:
When you get anxious and stress levels soar, your natural inclination might be to respond with self-criticism.
Instead, try to be patient and understanding with your reactions.
How? You can start by labeling and leaning into your feelings. You might simply say, Im feeling frazzled right now, and thats okay.
Similarly, you can also think about treating yourself like youd treat a close friend or family member, says Maisel.
You might say something like, Its OK to feel overwhelmed. Youre doing a lot. But youre doing the best you can.
You can recalibrate your emotions by taking small, short breaks throughout the day, according to Palacios. For instance, she suggests:
When anxiety pulls your mind elsewhere, you can also try the 54321 technique to ground yourself in the present moment, says Finkel.
To practice, she says, simply name:
Find 14 more mindfulness tricks to ease anxiety.
During and after exercise, the body releases calming neurotransmitters that create an overall feeling of well-being, says Karlene Kerfoot, chief nursing officer at symplr.
Exercising before work can help your body cope with workplace situations that may cause anxiety, and exercise after work can help place you in a different mindset where you can better cope with such feelings, she says.
When big projects and presentations produce anxiety, getting organized can help reduce feelings of overwhelm, says Finkel.
She suggests:
In other words, try to use your anxiety to propel you to accomplish tasks instead of putting them off.
Could some boundaries help keep your work-related stressor in check?
If your stress relates work-life balance or work relationships, Finkel suggests:
Get more tips for setting healthy boundaries.
Finding something to laugh about can release tension, shift your perspective, and stimulate positive neurotransmitters, says Kerfoot. Humor can even help you take yourself, not to mention your workplace, less seriously.
To give yourself a good laugh:
If you have a workspace, you can create a mini sanctuary or retreat that offers solace during stressful or anxiety-provoking situations, says Smith.
For example, she says, you might:
If you dont have a designated workspace, you can assemble a kit that provides a quick shot of relief during stressful moments at work, says Wilson.
Your kit can include items that soothe your senses and help you move.
Wilson offers a few examples:
Strive to create a life filled with relationships, events, and activities outside of work that bring you joy, peace, and happiness, Kerfoot recommends. She goes on to explain that a fulfilling life outside of work can:
To get started, consider the people, places, and pastimes that bring you joy and calm. How can you add them to your days?
If youre dealing with workplace anxiety, professional support can be incredibly helpful.
How do you know when help from a therapist might have benefit?
Theres no right or wrong time to connect with a therapist, Palacios says, so this decision will be unique to everyone.
In general, however, she recommends seeking professional help when you want your life to be different but you havent found it possible to make changes on your own.
Specifically, Palacios says, this could mean you:
A therapist can offer support with:
Check out our guide to finding the right therapist.
Workplace anxiety is common, but its very manageable. Small steps, like understanding your triggers, setting boundaries, and taking restorative breaks, can go a long way.
That said, if your work stress becomes difficult to cope with alone, dont hesitate to seek professional support. A therapist can always offer compassionate guidance with identifying possible causes and exploring your options for addressing them.
Above all, remember: You deserve to work in a safe, reasonable environment.
Margarita Tartakovsky, MS, has been writing for Psych Central and other websites for more than a decade on a wide range of topics. Shes the author of the mental health journal Vibe Check: Be Your Best You (Sterling Teen). Shes especially passionate about helping readers feel less alone and overwhelmed and more empowered. You can connect with Margarita on LinkedIn, or check out her writing at her website.
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Workplace Anxiety: Signs, Causes, Tips to Cope - Healthline
