Do you always feel like you’re in trouble at work?

Afraid of getting in trouble at work?

Constantly worry about work or afraid you’re going to get fired?

Do you obsess over work?

You might be suffering from workplace anxiety.

While some level of stress is understandable, constant stress about your job, especially if it overwhelms you or prevents you from living your life, you could be experiencing an anxiety condition.

Having this type of anxiety is not only detrimental for your well-being, but it can have profound consequences for your career development.

Workplace Anxiety Symptoms: Recognizing Warning Signs

The most recognizable symptom of workplace anxiety is a persistent fear that you are on the verge of getting into trouble at work.

But that’s not the only sign. If you are experiencing workplace anxiety, you may have some of the following symptoms as well:

  • Constant worrying at work
  • Constant fear that you may lose your job
  • Low self-esteem
  • Sensitivity to feedback
  • Avoiding friends or family (especially avoiding talking about work)
  • Crying (about work or at work)
  • Feeling tired (especially when you need to go to work)
  • Feeling irritable (especially at work or when you think about work)
  • Feeling like you need to be perfect
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Feeling tense
  • Losing interest in your work (even when it’s not justified)
  • Overeating or under-eating
  • Excessive drinking or other unhealthy coping patterns

The Root Cause of Workplace Anxiety

Anxiety itself is a fairly common psychological condition. In fact, 72% report daily stress that interferes with their lives at least moderately, and 40% report persistent stress or excessive anxiety.[1]

When it comes to workplace anxiety, there can be a broad set of reasonable and even medical causes. From workplace performance to relationships with coworkers, from quality of one’s job, to relationships with one’s boss, there can be many influences on a professional that cause anxiety.

We’re going to put all of that aside for a second…  Not to diminish their validity, but to uncover another root cause…

The root cause of workplace anxiety is money.

What we mean by this is that: if you are paid sufficiently well, and if your income is stable and dependable, a lot of workplace anxiety quickly disappears. 

In other words, on top of all the valid interpersonal reasons, most professionals have the compounding effect of insufficient pay and unstable incomes that exasperate their workplace anxiety.

If you’re unsure about this assertion, just ask yourself:

Would you feel the same level of anxiety if you were paid five times as much? Not only that, what if you also had a severance contract that guaranteed three years of payouts in case your job disappeared, even if you were fired?

Would you still be equally anxious and worried?

Or would a lot of the pressure just disappear?

By all means, you may still feel uncomfortable about certain experiences at work. But with sufficient pay and stability of income, workplace anxiety doesn’t bite as hard. At the very least, you would stop tiptoeing around your boss or worry over every little issue.

Remember this: There are a variety of causes for workplace anxiety. Different people suffer for different reasons. But among all professionals, sufficient pay and income stability are a common root cause of workplace anxiety.

Work Anxiety Ruining My Life: Reclaiming Control

You may not have your golden parachute yet, but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless against the grip of workplace anxiety. You can take charge and reclaim control over your mental well-being.

Acknowledging the profound impact of work-related anxiety on personal life and relationships is the first step towards regaining control. This is particularly important since workplace anxiety does not stay at work, and it can seep into every aspect of your life, affecting your happiness, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Remember, reclaiming control isn’t about miraculously eliminating all sources of anxiety from your life. It’s about equipping yourself with the tools and mindset needed to navigate challenges with resilience, WHILE working toward eliminating the sources of anxiety. In particular: while generating income security, and sufficient pay.

Anxiety About Going to Work Everyday: Breaking the Cycle

Let’s cut straight to the chase: if you dread going to work every day, it’s time to confront the root cause head-on. More often than not, it’s not about vague workplace dynamics or abstract stressors – it’s about money.

Or more accurately, it’s about how you are dependent on a particular job, or the opinion of your boss, in order to continue earning money.

Insufficient pay and income insecurity are like anchors dragging you down, sapping your motivation, and drowning you in anxiety. Your bills don’t care about your workplace politics or office drama; they demand to be paid, and that constant pressure weighs heavily on your mind.

So here’s the deal: stop ignoring the elephant in the room. Take a hard look at your finances and figure out where you stand. Are you being paid what you’re worth? How long can you survive without this job? How quickly can you get another job? Can you walk away? 

Once you’ve faced the reality of your situation, your perspective will start to shift, and you’ll start to realize that it’s not just about the stresses at work. It’s about what that work represents.

As Einstein’s famous quote goes “We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”.

In this sense, we cannot solve workplace anxiety at the level of our job. We solve it at the level of our career. By creating a comprehensive career plan, you can broaden your horizons, and head towards the world where you are no longer dependent on a particular job

Anxiety About Work Performance: Overcoming Self-Doubt

Even when you have a comprehensive career plan, you may still experience anxiety at work about your performance from time to time.

In order to deal with that you need to determine: Is it a you thing, a them thing, or is it an objective thing?

Let’s unpack that…

Are you doubting yourself and concerned about your work performance because you aren’t generating the results you have committed to generating? Showing up late to work, failing assignments, underselling, making mistakes, etc? Any of that would be considered an objective thing. You need to up your game and improve your actual performance.

Are you concerned or nervous about doing the wrong thing, because you are a perfectionist or because you are not receiving explicit encouragement or positive feedback, and you happen to need a lot of validation to feel secure? Do you keep worrying about stuff at work, but then it turns out it wasn’t a big deal? If these describe you, then it is a you thing. And you should build a support network who can provide encouragement. You should celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and remind yourself of past successes when self-doubt creeps in.

Is your boss or other peers in your company unjustly criticizing your work, undermining your authority, or scrutinizing your work? Do they have unrealistic expectations or do they apply excessive pressure to boost your performance? Do they nickel and dime you? If you can relate to these, then it might be a them thing. You may need to establish boundaries and work aggressively toward finding alternative employment.

Remember, across this entire process, it is perfectly normal and acceptable to seek help from professionals to overcome self-doubt. Whether it’s through professional development opportunities, counseling, or self-help resources, there are plenty of avenues available to support your growth and success in the workplace. 

My Job Gives Me Anxiety Attacks: Managing Panic in the Workplace

You may have a career plan, and you might have overcome yourself doubt… 

But despite all that… What if you have a more serious situation? What if you experience anxiety or panic attacks following certain triggers about work? What if you experience, or are concerned that you might experience, a panic attack in the workplace?

A panic attack is an intense condition and different than workplace anxiety which we’ve been discussing. But it’s an important condition that is worth talking about, so that you can distinguish it from workplace anxiety and deal with it appropriately.

A panic attack presents as an episode of intense fear, with quite uncomfortable physical effects, even when there is no real physical danger. Panic attacks can be very frightening, might feel like a heart attack or even dying!

It’s essential to recognize the signs of panic attacks and take proactive steps to manage it effectively.

  • Understand the Triggers: Identify the specific triggers that lead to anxiety attacks in your work environment. Is it high-pressure deadlines, difficult interactions with colleagues or supervisors, or feelings of overwhelm? Pinpoint these triggers, and develop strategies to address them or minimize their impact. This way, you can avoid  situations that cause panic.
  • Have a Plan to Escape: If for some reason you feel an attack is coming, it is perfectly acceptable to take a break or leave the scene. Even if taking a break or leaving work with a weak excuse would cause trouble for you, chances are, it would be less trouble than having to talk to HR about your panic attacks.
  • Seek Help: If you happen to have panic attacks at work, or even if you think you may have a panic attack at work, remember that it’s okay to seek help. By this, we mean seeking medical help from medical professionals. While the direction we’ve given you in this article about workplace anxiety is helpful for workplace anxiety, a panic attack is a different beast. Seek help.

Coping Strategies For Workplace Anxiety

On the internet, a lot of coping strategies are recommended to deal with workplace anxiety and stress. We don’t recommend most of them and would like to warn you against three of the more popular coping strategies:

  • Redefine success: Redefining success is admitting defeat. You are not defeated yet, as anxiety is not evidence of defeat. On the contrary, anxiety is evidence that you care. Don’t redefine your sense of success or settle, that’s bad advice.
  • Reflect on your achievements: While it’s useful to focus on your achievements, especially when writing your resume or advocating for promotions, in general, it is better to focus on what you want to achieve rather than what you have already achieved. Orient yourself toward your goals, and aim high. Your neurochemistry will take care of the rest.
  • Distract yourself: Distracting yourself and escapism might alleviate some of the pressure, and on rare occasions might be beneficial. But it’s not a permanent coping strategy because you cannot rely on it repetitively. Distractions won’t fix your problem. Career and personal development will.

Overcoming Workplace Anxiety

In conclusion, let’s review and summarize how to overcome workplace anxiety:

  1. Understand that it has many causes and triggers.
  2. Understand that the root cause is insufficient pay or income insecurity.
  3. Don’t yield to or get comfortable with the anxiety, decide to reclaim control.
  4. Create a career development plan that leads to sufficient pay and secure income.
  5. Overcome self-doubt by first identifying if it’s an objective thing, a you thing, or a them thing, and then deal with it appropriately.
  6. If you suffer from panic attacks at work, be prepared to handle them by avoiding triggers, escaping the scene and seeking help.

Also, don’t forget to take care of your physical and mental health…

Remember: Self-care is not selfish – it’s essential for maintaining resilience and overcoming workplace anxiety effectively. By prioritizing activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being, you can better cope with the demands of your job and gain control over your career.

Finally, seeking professional support is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether it’s through therapy, counseling, or other activities such as career guidance and networking, you can benefit from professional guidance.

You are not alone, and with the right resources and support, you can overcome your challenges.

You’ve got this…