Anxiety doesn't really stop at the front door. And that goes for either side of the door. Anxiety doesn't necessarily stop when we get home from a long day, nor does it necessarily stop when we start our day by walking out that door. Anxiety can be at home, at school and even at work. Workplace anxiety can make work a really uncomfortable place to be. Given the state of the world in the global pandemic, workplace anxiety can even create home anxiety because many of us work from home. Workplace anxiety can make life difficult as we tend to spend a lot of time at work. So what is workplace anxiety?

Well, workplace anxiety can look like irritability at work, constant worry about workplace tasks, or losing interest in your work. This anxiety can even impact your physical health. Workplace anxiety can lead to trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating or remembering things, or even over eating or under eating. Workplace anxiety can lead to what I call Sunday sadness. It's that feeling you get when you know that you have to get up for work tomorrow. That feeling that the weekend is over and that tomorrow is an early day with meetings or calls or spreadsheets. Sunday sadness is that feeling you get when dread kicks in. It's that feeling that you would do anything for there to be another day in the weekend and one less during the week. It's that feeling of disappointment. That sad realization of "well here we go again".

So what do we do about workplace anxiety? Well, there are several different avenues to attack this. For some, that means finding a different job. Something that fills up your cup rather than drains it. For others, It may be an adjustment that is needed. This can look like adjusting your schedule to better fit your lifestyle and work life balance. It could also look like making sure we make time for ourselves outside of work. This could look like exercising, eating well, enjoying a hobby, or really anything that just brings a smile to your face. Workplace anxiety tends to strike most when work becomes life. So by creating a distinction between working and home life we can begin to address workplace anxiety. Another route to address workplace anxiety is to speak with your employer. Kind of like that old saying goes oh, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. No one is going to know there's a problem in this we make it known that there's a problem. Perhaps there is a facet of your job that you enjoy more than another. Maybe you feel energized working on one task whereas other areas of your work make you feel drained. By bringing this to the attention of your employer, there is a possibility that workplace responsibilities can be adjusted.

Overall, working is difficult. We spend a lot of time at work, we put a lot of pressure on our work and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. Work is such a big part of our lives it's no wonder we can feel anxious about it. But if you are a loved one or struggling with workplace anxiety and are not sure what to do, reach out to our team here at Niyyah and we will gladly help guide you through your workplace anxiety.