Are You Having an Anxiety Attack at Work?

Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are intense feelings of fear, worry and nervousness triggered by an external factor that has been developing over time. How do you know you’re having one? Symptoms vary but the common ones include sudden overwhelming fear, chest pains, dizziness and nausea.

Everyone experiences anxiety at one point of their life as this is a natural reaction in anticipation of a large event happening, be it a performance review, a huge presentation in front of an important client or even a meeting in the office. However, there are times where anxiety becomes overwhelming and disrupts our day-to-day activities.

Irrational fears or unreasonable anxiety is an indicator of an anxiety disorder. That’s when you need help.

If you’ve been having workplace anxiety, follow these tips to help cope with them and make your work experience a happier one.

#1 Avoidance is a temporary solution
There will be times where we will be facing conflicts at the workplace with our colleagues and sometimes even our bosses. It’s important to note that avoiding them will not solve any of the problems and might even contribute to a buildup of more tension and increased anxiety. Confront the problem at hand and try to come to an agreement. In the worst case, sometimes we just have to agree to disagree.

#2 Reflect
Ask yourself if what you’re sweating about is something realistic and if there is a way to solve the issue at hand. You might find that it’s not as bad as you initially thought and you might have been overthinking things.

#3 Challenge negative thoughts
A lot of times anxiety comes from an irrational fear that’s caused by conflicts you’re having within yourself. One side of the argument brings to light the tiniest possibility of a screw up and you start to worry about all those little possibilities. Always remember, you’re in control of your own actions!

#4 Focus on the facts
At the point of when your anxiety is starting to take over your thoughts, stop for a second and take a deep breathe. Figure out what are the facts of the situation you’re in without listening to the negative thoughts (see point 3). Once you’ve got all the facts lined up, you’ll be able to address them more systematically and kill off any more anxiety faster!

Photo by M.T ElGassier on Unsplash