What is Work Anxiety
According to WHO, an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression globally, one of the leading causes of disability, with many of these people also suffering from symptoms of anxiety.
Work anxiety can drastically affect your quality of life and leave you counting down the minutes until five o’clock comes around. Roughly three out of every four people with stress or anxiety in their life say that it interferes with their daily lives, and the workplace is no exception. Anxiety can affect performance at work, the quality of the work, relationships with colleagues, and relationships with supervisors. And if you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, then these challenges may prove even more difficult.
Psychologists in Pakistan believe that being a patriarchal society, it is rare that men in Pakistan admit their depression because it will indirectly mean that they failed to cope with their responsibilities. Therefore, work anxiety diagnosis and treatment amongst the predominantly male working population is extremely low.
Signs of Work Anxiety
Although there is no work anxiety disorder specifically, there are certain symptoms that are common in terms of anxiety disorders and anxiety in general. Below is a list of these symptoms:
Excessive or irrational worrying
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Exaggerated startle reaction
Feeling jittery
Tiredness or fatigue
Feeling like there’s a lump in your throat
Shaking or trembling
Dry mouth
Sweating
A pounding/racing heart
In addition to these general symptoms of anxiety, there are also some signs to watch out for that may indicate that someone is experiencing work anxiety and may need help:
Taking an unusual amount of time off work
Overreacting to situations on the job
Focusing too much on negative aspects of their job
Inability to concentrate or complete tasks by the deadline
Managing Work Anxiety
It is important that colleagues and friends at work are supportive to identify the work-related anxiety and help manage the anxiety or eradicate the cause of anxiety. For the person suffering from work anxiety it is recommended:
Be sure to make time for yourself away from work
Find things that make you laugh and smile
Take lunch breaks and share a meal with others outside of your work area
Go for walks outdoors on your breaks when possible
Change your scenery
Focus on life outside of work such as hobbies and friends
Reflect on the good things in your job and your life
Examine what you fear will happen and ask yourself whether it is an irrational fear
Moreover, stigma and shame associated with men seeking help for their psychological issues must be uprooted from our communities. This is because once this stigma is uprooted, it will allow more people to open up about their issues and develop a society that is supportive and healthy.