Learning to manage anxiety can help you in your professional and personal life

The novel coronavirus has caused a great deal of uncertainty and upheaval in our lives. Whether you have a history of anxiety or not, you might be grappling with more fear and questions about the future than ever before. We need to learn how to cope with our anxiety in order to stay healthy and productive. There are ways to manage anxiety and fears without adding to the overwhelm you may be feeling right now.

Some of you must learn to effectively work from home under stay-at-home orders, while others now report for duty in-person at essential businesses. In both cases, anxiety can create fear and reduce your productivity.

During this time, when you feel anxious, take a deep breath and pause your worry and fear. Assess your needs and place your physical and mental health at the top of your priority list. Healthy workers will shape a healthy business environment now and in the future.

Acknowledge the Uncertainty and Worry

As a career coach, I often give individuals hard-hitting and practical advice for how to succeed in their career and on the job. Right now, however, we all need a little breathing room to be human first. I know you have back-to-back Zoom meetings and work piling up at a breakneck pace, but avoiding the emotions of our global situation will only lead to a breakdown later.

As Michael Stein, Psy.D., wrote just a few weeks ago:

“One of the first things I explain to my anxious clients when they come in for therapy is that avoidance maintains anxiety; anything you do to avoid or escape anxiety triggers in the short-term gives you more anxiety in response to those triggers in the long-term.
This is easy to see when the fear is of something physical like flying, contamination with germs, or social situations. But many anxiety sufferers are not doing any wholesale avoidance of any major physical situations. Often what they are avoiding is simply uncertainty, the unknown. The behavior they use to avoid uncertainty is the act of worrying.”

While some individuals succumb to worry, others bury themselves in work in order to suppress the mounting worry they feel about their uncertain future. Both responses lead to more anxiety.

In the article above, Stein recommends acknowledging the worry, but not attending to it:

“The healthier thing to do is ignore the uncertainty and put the spotlight on what you are doing in the present. This doesn't mean the worry thoughts won't be there, you just won't be attending to them. Even though that's scary—and easier said than done at first—your brain will learn from it and the anxiety will naturally subside over time if you stick with it.”

Worrying about uncertainty won’t solve it, and worry serves to keep your brain in a constantly heightened, anxious state. When you focus on the present moment – what’s actually in your control – it calms your brain and the anxiety response.

Again, that doesn’t mean bury your head in the sand, or your work, but it does mean allowing yourself to attend to what’s directly in front of you: one concrete work project, figuring out your family’s new school-at-home setup, or even starting a personal project that will lead to a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Create Space

In addition to consciously directing your attention to what you can control, there are a number of ways you can curb the anxiety response. In essence, each of these practices help you create space for your brain to slow down and react in a healthier way.

Some techniques to try include:

Meditation. It’s not just for Buddhist monks or gurus on mountaintops. Average people can gain real benefits from meditation. Start with something like this simple guided meditation for directing focus.
Gratitude. Many studies have shown the positive effects of noticing and naming the good in our lives.
Connection. Turn off the news, disconnect from social media, and reach out to a friend instead. Our need for connection runs deep, and you can maintain social connection even through this time of social distancing. You may be out of practice, but pick up the phone and call a friend.
Movement. Exercise creates a completely different chain reaction in your brain that can stop anxiety in its tracks. When you feel worry mounting, take a break and move. Go for a walk, login for a yoga live stream, or just dance in your kitchen.
Tuning in. Listening to your favorite music can ease both anxiety and pain.
Creating. Art therapy has been shown to alleviate anxiety. You don’t need to be an artist to create. Simply make something with your hands, whether your medium is paint, fabric, yarn, wood or food. Spend time creating something that feels good to you.

All of these activities break up your schedule and allow your brain to reset in a healthier way. If you have been stuck in a grind, whether that’s too much work or too much worry, it’s time to stop, pause and refocus on what you can control.

We don’t need to let worry and anxiety become our norm. Face each day and each moment of challenge as it comes. The ability to manage your anxiety now will help you stay healthy and productive.

I work virtually with individuals seeking to further develop their careers. If you need career support and guidance during this time, contact me to schedule a free strategy call.