Are your fears holding you back at work?
Whether it’s from a conflict with a coworker, a toxic work environment, or just a general lack of confidence, work related anxiety can take its toll on your life and career. You want to move forward, and therapy can help.
Let’s take a look at the signs of workplace anxiety, how that anxiety can impact your life, and how therapy can help you move forward.
What is "Work Anxiety Therapy?"
It’s important to note that “work anxiety therapy” is not a specific psychological practice. When we talk about work anxiety therapy, we’re not talking about a therapy technique such as exposure therapy or talk therapy. In this article, “work anxiety therapy” refers to any therapeutic practice to help you work through your anxiety and reach your full potential in the workplace.
Signs You May Need Therapy
How do you know if you need therapy? Perhaps your gut is telling you that therapy is needed to help you thrive in the workplace. But if you’re not sure, look for these signs of workplace anxiety and how they manifest
●A tightening chest or racing heart as you begin your work day
●An impending sense of dread when you think about work
●Tension in your shoulders or other parts of your body
●A sinking feeling when you drive past your workplace on your day off
●Overwhelming exhaustion or fatigue
●Feeling sick at work
●Insomnia
While it’s normal to feel some work-related anxiety occasionally, if your anxiety is interfering with your day-to-day performance and/or your life outside of work, then it might be an ideal time for you to explore workplace anxiety therapy.
Work Anxiety Can Hold You Back
If you are seeking work anxiety therapy, then you’ve probably noticed that your anxiety holds you back. For example, if it holds you back from asking for a raise you know you deserve, you are limiting your financial potential.
Or perhaps you know you need to quit your job and move on to better things, but you feel like you’re stuck.
Whatever the case, work anxiety keeps you from taking risks, and you can’t grow without taking risks. The good news is that work anxiety therapy can help. Read on to discover specific ways therapy can help you with your anxiety.
Have A Listener On Your Side
Therapy for work anxiety starts with a therapist who will help you feel validated, which is often the biggest benefit of going to therapy. Anxiety tends to grow when you don’t have an outlet for it, but knowing that someone is on your side can alleviate the burden. Therapists practice active listening to your words, mannerisms, and emotions, and then will verbally validate what you’ve shared. You may experience stress relief merely from the process of having an active listener hear your frustrations.
Grow Your Confidence In A Support Group
You might seek individual work anxiety therapy, but another option is to join a support group. If your anxiety comes from a lack of confidence, a support group can provide a helpful tool. In a therapist-led support group, you can grow your confidence by speaking up for yourself, which can serve as practice so you are better armed to handle actual work-related conflicts.
Pinpoint The Source
What if you don’t know why you’re experiencing workplace anxiety? You know you feel anxious at work, but you can’t pinpoint the source of that anxiety. In that case, a therapist can offer insights by helping you untangle your thoughts and clarify your struggles. Once you’ve determined the source of your anxiety, you can begin to move forward.
Get Practical Tips
Talk therapy is helpful, which many therapists also combine with other techniques such Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which provide practical techniques to boost your mental health and sense of empowerment.
Gain Accountability
Of course, knowing what to do in the workplace is one thing. But you ultimately must implement those steps to generate results, which is obviously the more challenging step. Therapists can provide enormous value here as well by providing accountability to ensure you follow through on your most optimal action steps.
For example, let’s say you’ve worked with your therapist to build the confidence to ask your boss for a raise, and now it’s time to set up that meeting. Even after all of your hard work, asking the question may be scary. However, when you know your therapist will follow up and ask how the meeting went, you may be more inclined to push through your fears.
Know When It’s Time To Quit
Could your workplace anxiety come from a toxic work environment? People don’t always notice toxic patterns when they’re caught up in them. Therapists, however, are trained to recognize those patterns. If it’s time for you to quit your job, work anxiety therapy can help you reach that conclusion, as well as building the confidence to quit.
Work Anxiety Therapy With Connected Roots
Workplace anxiety is tough. It leads to conflict, burnout, and a range of other problems. Getting therapy can help. Here at Connected Roots, we help many clients with work-related struggles.
From confidence-building support groups to one-on-one therapy appointments, Connected Roots has options. Want to learn more about those options? Get in touch with us today. We would love to help you thrive in the workplace.