Over the last few years more light has been shed on factual evidence of mental health and the shockingly common illnesses Americans struggle with on a daily basis.
Now that employers are finally admitting that mental illness is real and does directly impact employee’s productivity, motivation, and happiness at work. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders which cripples their productivity, creativity, and performance in the office.
Whether dealing with a diagnosed anxiety disorder or feeling the impacts of high-stress jobs, numerous studies have shown that job stress is by the far the major source of stress for American adults and those numbers have only continued to increase over the last few years.
Although anxiety disorders may never go away, there are ways to diminish the negative side effects and better manage anxiety in the workplace.
The following four ways employees are managing anxiety in the workplace have been proven successful for a variety of workers, from young to old, beginner to expert, and so on. Along with other simple health tips for workers, making use of these four suggestions will result in a much calmer and more manageable feeling on anxiety in the workplace.
1. Reframe your perspective. Practice better workplace mindfulness.
Finding happiness at work always seems easier said than done. For years, employees have been convinced that being happy with their jobs was an impossible challenge that could never be fixed. Thankfully, we’ve been wrong.
Many of us are guilty of putting own wellbeing needs at the bottom of the to do list. In reality, supporting our own wellbeing has a direct link to productivity, creativity, and other motivation factors when it comes to work. Workers in America need to realize that by simply changing their perspective, they can foster better outcomes when it comes to facing tough decisions and work-related stressors.
Whether you are struggling with anxiety or not, we should all be practicing mindfulness on the job. Being mindful allows us to be more productive, stress-free, and achieve more. Mindfulness can help cut out procrastination and anxiety around deadlines leading to employees being more on top of their work. Even small changes around the office can lead to enormous improvements for your company.
2. Switch up your environment. Adjust your workspace to better suit your needs.
Although many employers are still resisting the idea of allowing more employees to work remotely, the resulting statistics are proving that remove work does lower anxiety.
Working remotely allows for more time before and after work to do the things you love, rather than wasting time sitting in rush hour traffic or driving around looking for a parking spot.
It may be hard to convince your employer to let you work remotely full time, but opening up the conversation and explaining how this can benefit your health and job productivity, can and will lead to success. Even allowing employees to work remotely just one day a week provides them with more flexibility and comfort when it comes to managing their anxiety in the workplace.
3. Try new medications and natural remedies.
In addition to traditional anxiety and depression disorder treatments, new innovative remedies are being discovered every day. With increasing misuse of prescription drugs and the recent opioid crisis in America, consumers are being more skeptical and cautious when it comes to selecting their mental health treatments.
According to a number of recent studies, the most effective use for CBD in the workplace is treating social anxiety. Businesses are losing $4.1 billion dollars in productivity due to anxiety. Studies suggest that CBD can help reduce anxiety and greatly benefit both employees and employers. Over the last year, more experts have publicized their support for CBD and other natural remedies being used to treat anxiety and support overall wellbeing.
If CBD is still too far out of your comfort zone, there are other natural remedies, tips, and treatments you can try. Whether that be through relaxation and meditation, exercise, or practicing gratitude, there are tons of resources and suggestions out there to help ease your anxiety at the office and rediscover your happiness.
4. Start the conversation, if appropriate.
Many of us our mental illness concerns a secret from our employers, but if an employer is not aware of an issue, how can they provide help?
This varies from workplace environment to workplace environment, but employees can feel more at ease when bringing up their mental health struggles due to non-discriminatory work laws. Simply starting the conversation with your leadership teams allows management to take the lead in developing new policies to support employee’s mental health needs — but look into your own situation and make the judgment call on the best decision for you. For some, it might be better to not involve an unsympathetic boss or coworker.
Even getting your managers to understand the importance of mental health days can start the trend of spreading awareness and resources for working class struggles.
Don’t know how to start the conversation? Try these five ways to get people talking about anxiety.
If you’re an employer trying to help build a culture that supports your employee’s mental health, there are resources available.
More and more companies are dedicating their efforts to helping employees manage workplace stress and anxiety factors in order to better support their business’ productivity and future success. Some companies are even experimenting with more unique and innovative ways to help employees stay stress-free on the job.
Many of us are still curious about what the future of workplace wellbeing looks like. With improved awareness, resources, and anxiety management, the idea and practice of companies fostering better workplace environments to aid in the wellbeing of all employees, may be closer than we think.
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