Anxiety is the feeling of fear or anxiety that appears when faced with a possible threat. When we talk about work anxietywork becomes the center of concerns and fear appears, above all, in the workplace.
Needless to say, Anxiety is a normal emotion through which your body prepares you to escape or defend yourself from danger. The problem comes when this sensation becomes chronic, that is, it becomes constant and appears without reason.
What is work anxiety?
Work anxiety is a A feeling of fear or anxiety that appears when faced with a possible work-related threatThis threat may be real or imagined.
This feeling appears when you react inappropriately to work demands. Imagine that, after being reprimanded by a superior, you get nervous and freeze up for a whole week. This is usually a symptom of anxiety.
What is it not?
You should know that anxiety and stress They are not the same, especially when we talk about anxiety as a disorder.
Stress is a feeling of tension that appears when you have to face a challenge and disappears once you have overcome that challenge.
When you feel stressyour body puts into action a series of mechanisms that allow you to better respond to the demands of your environment. Your breathing accelerates so that your brain receives more oxygen and, therefore, you can be more decisive.
For its part, chronic anxiety It is a disorder characterized by constant and disproportionate worry, which can appear with or without reason and which affects the way in which you perform your functions.
Mental health of workers in Spain
In 2020, a study conducted by Affor Psychosocial Prevention revealed that 42% of the working population in Spain suffers from work-related anxietyRespondents reported feeling tense, nervous and irritable. They also reported having headaches and problems sleeping or concentrating.
According to a study titled Global Benefits Attitudes Survey and conducted by WTW, 40% of Spanish workers suffer from anxiety or depression. Furthermore, in 10% of cases these disorders manifest themselves through severe symptoms.
Furthermore, the study notes that:
- Workers with anxiety and depression lose, on average, 34.5 days of work per year.
- 61% of workers with depression or work-related anxiety say they feel burned out at work.
- 58% feel that they are not making progress in their company and would be willing to change jobs.
- 33% of Spanish workers would like their company's benefits programs to include psychological assistance.
In addition, the study indicates that 61% of users who use online psychological support tools perceive an improvement in their mental health. If you also want to leave anxiety behind, do not hesitate to contact an online psychologist.
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Symptoms of work anxiety
The symptoms that can help you recognize if you suffer from work anxiety are:
- Concern.
- Emergence of insecurities.
- Problems making decisions.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Difficulty remembering things normally.
- Recurring negative thoughts.
- Discouragement.
- Lack of motivation.
- Sudden mood swings.
In addition, work anxiety also presents a series of physical symptoms:
- Rapid heart rate.
- Trouble breathing normally.
- Chest pain.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Muscle tension.
- Digestive problems.
- Constant tiredness.
- Tremors.
- Sweats.
- Shivers.
What are the most common causes?
The causes are very varied and depend on the personality of those who suffer from this problem. However, there are some very common causes that are often repeated.
On the one hand, the disorder In the workplace, it can lead to an employee developing work-related anxiety. This is because, without proper organisation, it is easy to feel that your obligations are overwhelming and that you are not able to cope. This often leads to a blockage that only aggravates the feeling of helplessness.
On the other hand, also the excessively perfectionist people They can develop this type of problem. These people tend to have unstable self-esteem, dependent on the results of their actions and the perception that others have of them. They often try to control everything, something that is quite difficult to achieve in the work environment, since multiple people are often involved in making decisions.
Other profiles prone to suffering from work anxiety are: people who are unhappy in their jobspeople with problems reconciling their work and family life, people who do not have the necessary skills for their job or those who work in a toxic environment where proper communication is conspicuous by its absence.
How to manage work anxiety?
- Learn to manage your time, both inside and outside the work environment. At work, tackle tasks one at a time and, if they seem too demanding, break them down into smaller tasks. Outside, try to completely disconnect from the work environment.
- Exercise daily. Experts say that by exercising for thirty minutes a day, you can reduce your risk of developing disorders such as depression.
- Get proper rest. To successfully cope with the work day, it is necessary to sleep well, without interruptions, for seven or eight hours a day.
- Seek help. If you already live with work anxiety and notice how it affects your performance at work and your personal life, do not hesitate to put yourself in the hands of a mental health professional.
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