Tips for dealing with anxiety at work

[kingchino86]

Hi All,

This is my first post on these forums so bare with me. I'm 24 male and up untill 18 months ago I was the most laid back, care free guy you could meet. However, now I am faced with anxiety 24/7.

One of the most difficult times for me is work. The pressure and stress don't help matters to be honest and you can rule out hangovers (these kill me at weekends, let alone fighting through the day)

I was wondering if anyone had any tips for helping deal with anxiety at work. For me, listening to the radio through head phones is about the only solution, or locking myself in the toilets for short periods to calm down.

[kingchino86]

thanks for the reply. the things that make me anxious are the all stress related; workload, tight deadlines, pressure, etc
The anxiety, for some reason, is more about my health rather than weather im doin the job right. I know the things i'm feeling are simply stress (headaches, light headed, trouble concentrating, panic) but i over think them in my head and it builds up
I had read about techniques such as 'tapping' or 'counting' but didn;t find them too useful. just wondered that if in a situation wher eyou can feel the stress building, what you could do to reduce this to prevent or manage the anxiety

[calmshell]

Hi !

I used to get a lot of anxiety , and tenseness , for no apparent reason at work (although i did work as an assistant teacher to 4 2nd grade classrooms..arghhhh!!!!) it was very meaningful , great work at first, but once i started to get anxiety (based on one scary thought ) my second year at the school was wracked everyday with tenseness, chest tightness,etc....looking back I can see very clearly, that my anxiety was an issue with if I was doing things correctly (i always had , first yr. though, so anxiety doesn't make sense usually..it is a irrational fear ) ...

I would be tense over whether I made it to the classroom on time ( i tend to run late for things)...Did I do this task on time? finish it quickly, do it well? I mean, your mind can make up alllllll these demands, and they are just not rational, or human.....I now look back and say, you know what? the teachers themselves were just getting done what THEY could in the day , and then they'd say, well, I'll just have to finish this tomorrow..I took everything soooo seriously, that I was not calm, which is respecting my own self, body, and my self esteem to TRUST myself.....I now know, whatever you do, work on it for that little time, know you are fine, you are capable, and you are HUMAN...i did not ever think that before...I read a book by Dr. Robert Leahy called Anxiety Free, and it really is useful, and you're like, ahhhh, ok , yeah, i see that now, when you read his material.....

He points out, we can all just do what we can..and that is FINE and good enough! As long as you are not mean to coworkers/spiteful and all those things, you are like everyone else....they are no better than you..no one is..remember that....you are fully as smart as anyone, capable, etc. and that is something you have to know ! Also, check out thework.com...it is GREAT!!!!! the woman Byron Katie challenges your mind with questioning what you are thinking of yourself (any stressful thought about things, yourself, the world, means it is not true for u...truth is always calm and kind, and it is our STORY that we are attached to, which has nothing to do with us)...check it out..she also is an author of A Thousand Names for Joy..it is VERY good...

Hope this helps at all...let us know how things are! So today, remember , we only have today!!~!!!!!!!!!!!!! why not just be in ONLY ONLY now, and be happy, for what other time can we be happy? (she always says in her books, there IS no future, that is a mind thing, your future..its right now.......so that is the only time to be happy!!!!!)
have a nice one, and when your mind is free, you'll be just fine.........oh i never asked what types of things made u anxious at work, or otherwise? Ok, hope this was at all useful..ttyl

[BluCrystal]

I can help you.  I deal with this everyday.  Firstly, when it's time to go to work, tell yourself out loud that you are going to have a great day at work.  This sets your mind into the correct attitude.  Then while you work, concentrate totally on the task at hand.  Do not think about anything except for that task.  If someone interrupts you, or demands that you do something else, reply calmly: 'sure, i will be happy to do that just as soon as i am finished here' or 'alright, i can stop this for a moment to talk to you about that'...etc, whatever calm response is appropriate at the time.  Above all else, remain in your calm and focused 'bubble' all day long.  In the worst case scenario, if someone is being other than nice, simply reply that you will be happy to discuss this matter reasonably after they have calmed down.  When your workday is done, and you HAVE had a good day, reward yourself with icecream on your way home.  Hope this helps!