It’s Mental Health Awareness Week from 15th to 21st May and the theme is ‘Anxiety’. Most of us do feel anxious at times at work due to our busy workloads which may include deadlines to meet, presentations to give, and a long To-Do List.
There is a positive side to feeling anxious because anxiety is a natural reaction when we are under pressure and overwhelmed. Our adrenaline kicks in to help us achieve the tasks efficiently.
On the other hand, we don’t want the feeling of anxiety to become negative, where we are not productive because anxiety takes over our thoughts. This may feel like a nagging feeling of worry and unease that creeps up on you.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is worrying about events that may occur in the future. It’s something that everyone feels at some point in their lives, especially when under pressure. It can take many different forms, from general feelings of stress and overwhelm, to more specific fears such as performance anxiety.
Anxiety can be mild, such as feeling nervous about a client meeting, or severe and crippling, making it difficult to do everyday tasks. Our brain can go into fight, flight, or freeze mode, causing us to react emotionally and be unable to cope when we would normally cope very well. In my Mental Health Chats YouTube interview with Tricia Maitland, she goes into great detail about ‘What Anxiety Feels Like’ and how our brain reacts when feeling anxious.
We should aim to train our brains to be more positive and relaxed in overwhelming situations at work. You could start doing exercises to help yourself be more productive and manage the overwhelm.
Here are 7 ways that can help you deal with anxiety when it strikes:
Regardless of what strategies you use to deal with anxiety, it is essential that you get bring emotional fitness into your life every day. Emotional fitness exercises can be done on a daily basis. Here is the link to my activity book, Emotional Fitness: A to Z for Positive Mental Health, which outlines easy exercises to bring into your every day.
In the workplace, Mental Health First Aiders have a very important role to play in your organisation. They work with managers to help spot the signs of mental health concerns, open up conversations to help team members who are in need, and use preventative measures for emotional fitness for all. Nova Associates runs the 2-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England Course for organisations. Find out more through our website where you can also get a free guide on how to implement a culture of positive mental health in your workplace.
Clare Davis, the CEO and Founder of Nova Associates, is a management and mental health trainer, coach, author, and facilitator who works with individuals and organisations to help them use their focus to bring out untapped potential in the workplace. Clare shows through real-world examples how the valuable skills that each person brings to your organisation can help your mission. To find out more about how you can manage anxiety within your team, schedule a free Strategy Call and let her assist you to bring positivity to your workplace.