No matter if you’re physically in an office or working remotely from the comfort of your own home, conversations with coworkers or clients tend to start similarly.
You ask about the weather, how the day is going, or how the weekend went. You may brush it off and say you’re doing okay to not bring any attention to yourself. In reality, you may be struggling internally. Maybe you’re having a hard time juggling your workload. There may be a big presentation or meeting coming up that you have to prepare for. Or you may be stressing about an upcoming deadline that you’re not sure you’re going to hit.
Work anxiety is real. You’re not alone if you’re struggling with anxiety related to your career. That being said, you don’t want it to start to impact your daily life and routine or prevent you from obtaining opportunities that can help you grow internally and within your company. Let’s find out if work anxiety is curbing your career.
Bad Attitude
Anxiety can build and cause someone to completely lose interest in things that an individual doesn’t feel comfortable with. This means that a person who has chronic anxiety can start to distance themselves from coworkers, projects, and career growth opportunities if they feel like it’s out of their comfort zone. These actions can cause them to be viewed negatively by their colleagues and appear as though they have a bad attitude toward work.
Feeling Inadequate
Anxiety can bring on negative feelings, fears, and worries that can cause someone’s self-esteem and confidence to take a hit. A person who is struggling with workplace anxiety may start to feel like they’re not good enough. They may start to compare themselves to their family, friends, or coworkers who they perceive as more successful. Low self-esteem can prevent someone with anxiety from providing input, showcasing their work, or being noticed.
Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed can happen when someone feels like they have too much on their to-do list or if they’re taking on more work than their schedule may allow. The anxiety starts to build when you question how you’re going to get all of the work done on time. When these feelings are left without any resolution or hope for a decrease in workload, it can lead to burnout.
Missing Deadlines
Deadlines can be a common occurrence within most roles and careers. Someone with anxiety can have a more difficult time meeting deadlines as their anxiety can cause them to procrastinate. Fear can cause procrastination, but procrastination can lead to more anxiety. Anxiety can build closer to the deadline since the work isn’t getting done. In turn, this can cause someone to miss deadlines or even lose their career in the process of missing too many deadlines.
Settling
A person with anxiety may miss opportunities. The unknown can bring added fear and pressure to someone with anxiety. Opportunities like promotions, changing roles, or moving teams or companies can be extremely anxiety-provoking for someone who already struggles with anxiety. Instead of taking a chance on themselves, they’ll stay in their comfort zone with the role they’re familiar with. Staying in a comfort zone may feel great at the moment, but it can be hard to move up in a company, grow personally, or make more money if no one is noticing your efforts.
Next Steps
Anxiety is a common and normal occurrence for a lot of individuals. But it doesn’t have to be something that gets in the way of your daily life and routine, especially your career. Even though anxiety is normal, it doesn’t mean that you have to let it control you. If you’re noticing that anxiety is curbing your career, help is available to you. Reach out today to find out how we can help you better manage your anxiety and get your life back on track again.