Managing Stress and Anxiety in the Workplace
There’s a common trope about how emotions have no place in the corporate world. That attitude argues that business decisions should be based purely on logic and data. However, we’ve all heard the counter-examples such as sports executives eschewing the newfangled analytics or managers who say something to the effect of “I just trusted my gut.” Keeping emotions out of the corporate world is a great theory that completely fails in practice. It fails because we all have emotions and cannot selectively feel certain ones and not others, nor can we feel emotions in one context, but not another. That’s not how we’re wired. The reality is that we have emotions because they served an evolutionary purpose and even in our modern world, they can guide our behavior, for better and for worse, if we’re not aware of how they are impacting us.
The common emotions that show up in the workplace are stress and anxiety. These two emotions can feel almost identical, but a good way to differentiate them is to consider how timing is a factor in the feeling. For instance, if a presentation or a spreadsheet is due tomorrow, we’re likely to feel stressed trying to tie up the loose ends. This same presentation or spreadsheet can also invoke feelings of anxiety, such as worry if the numbers ultimately are wrong and what may fall-out later. Feelings of anxiety typically feel more vague and have a longer time-frame. They also tend to occupy more brainspace and can be disproportionate to the facts of the situation.
So why do these feelings exist? The answer is easy. Evolutionarily, they kept us safe. Historically, the causes of stress and anxiety were different. No one was looking at a spreadsheet thousands of years ago. The threats were more primitive (and existential!). If our ancestors suddenly saw a lion (as Nagoski and Nagiski write about in their 2019 book Burnout), our bodies would feel stress and release stress hormones that would enable our ancestors to sprint to escape the impending danger. If our ancestors saw a new berry and worried about whether or not it was toxic, they might worry and avoid it (and the ones who didn’t failed to pass on their genes!). That explains why some folks avoid things they are worried about. Our ancestors' actions in moments of stress and worry were rewarded with their lives. Putting this idea in a more modern context, it explains why we notice anxiety running in families.
The good news is that we’re not doomed to suffer from stress and anxiety indefinitely. There are evidenced-based methods to address both feelings. Let’s start with stress. The simplest method to address stress is exercise (Nagoski & Nagoski, 2019). It’s not enough to finish the presentation or submit the spreadsheet. Exercising completes the stress cycle and discharges the stress from our system. This is because our ancestors often survived by physical exertion. If you’re not a big fan of exercise, have no fear. You can engage in deep breathing (for low levels of stress), spend time with a loved one, or do something that makes you laugh. My personal favorite is re-watching Ted Lasso.
Managing anxiety is a little more complicated and can require ongoing work. Linehan (2015) talks about using a fact-checking process. In this process, we begin by describing the feeling of anxiety, thinking through what prompted the anxiety, understanding what our interpretation or assumptions, asking ourselves if we’re assuming that a threat is present, understanding if we are catastrophizing or imagining the worst possible outcome, and finally, assessing if our anxiety fits the intensity of the actual facts. In many cases, the anxiety’s intensity won't match the facts and having that understanding can be soothing enough to help you go about your business. However, if it does not solve the anxiety, it may be time to do some problem-solving. Other ways to manage anxiety include distracting yourself through activities you enjoy,helping others, or engaging bodily sensations such as cold, smell, or sound. Lastly, don’t forget to get sleep and to eat.
If you’re wondering about getting professional help, that may be a good indication that it’s time. Other indicators are when the strategies you’re currently using aren’t helping, your eating or sleeping habits are suffering, your feelings are interfering with your life, or you’re finding yourself using substances to cope. While stress and anxiety are inevitable parts of life, even in the workplace, it’s possible to change your relationship with these feelings to minimize their impact.
References:
Eist, H. I. (2015). DBT Skills Training Manual, Marsha M. Linehan (2015) New York: The Guilford Press. 504 pp.: DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets: Marsha M. Linehan (2015) New York: The Guilford Press. 422 pp.
Nagoski, E., & Amelia Nagoski, D. M. A. (2019). Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle. Ballantine Books.
