Anxiety is the worst enemy of work productivity

Anxiety is the worst enemy of work productivity. One problem that almost all workers face is job anxiety. It is a state of mind of emotional restlessness that can block them and significantly limit their abilities. It is not easy to find a solution since the causes can be multiple.

 

The main problem it produces is a lack of concentration in what we are doing. But also irritability, insecurity, trouble resting, or muscle aches. This can also cause an increase in workplace accidents, as we are thinking about other things while we are working.

 

This article provides information on anxiety as the worst enemy of work productivity to take action on the matter and adopt habits that help you avoid falling into those moods.

 

What is the concept of anxiety?

 

We could define anxiety as the physiological response of alarm to escape or fight against a threat. We speak of work anxiety when it occurs in a work environment.

 

It is a state of mind of emotional restlessness that can block them and limit their ability to work. Therefore, it is vital to know in depth this issue and its prevention.

 

What are the types of anxiety?

 

There are two types of anxiety:

 

• Reasonable anxiety

 

Whose intensity is consistent with the situation (objectively dangerous) and ends with it. For example, in a dangerous situation, we can run.

 

• Unreasonable or pathological anxiety

 

Whose intensity is not consistent with the objective situation, it is usually very high, long-lasting, and maintained even when the situation ends. We make an inappropriate interpretation of reality, and we see dangerous situations, symptoms, or unreal thoughts.

 

For example, when we cannot face a new responsibility, situation, or position at work, we become stressed in an unbalanced way.

 

Causes of anxiety

 

There is no single cause of anxiety. It can come from issues of personal origin, professional origin, or a mixture of both.

 

Regarding work, and clarifying that work itself is not bad or harmful to health, anxiety can occur in different ways:

 

• Poor communication.

 

• Inadequate health and safety policies.

 

• Little participation in decision-making.

 

• Little control over the work that is done.

 

• High labor demand (internal or external).

 

• Too strict and inflexible schedules.

 

• Undefined roles.

 

• Unclear, confusing, or inconsistent tasks.

 

• An inadequate workload.

 

• Mobbing or workplace harassment.

 

• Fear of making mistakes, negative evaluation, or losing our job, because we do not have stability for the future.

 

• Poor relationship with our boss or a colleague, or, directly, because we face a conflictive environment every day.

 

• Excess of perfectionism.

 

• Exaggerated tendency to control.

 

• Poor organization of work.

 

There can be, as we see, good anxiety and unreasonable anxiety; since we can be victims of catastrophism or negative anticipation and interpret that we will not be up to the circumstances or the demands of the company.

 

Symptoms of anxiety

 

Symptoms can also be of different origin, type, and of different forms. We can find ourselves with psychological, physical, or social symptoms.

 

• Physical

 

Tachycardia, palpitations, chest tightness, tense muscles, eating disorder, dizziness, shakiness, annoying indigestion, fatigue, sleep disturbances or sexual response, chills, or excessive sweating.

 

• Psychological

 

Threat or danger sensation, insecurity, difficulty making decisions, suspicion, depersonalization, blocking, impulsivity, difficulties with attention, concentration, loss of memory, oversights and confusions, unrealistic thoughts or distorted, obsession with perfectionism, insomnia.

 

• Social

 

There is isolation, difficulty expressing opinions, lack of resources to defend the rights, potential conflicts, excessive fear, and irritability. Social phobia is known as one of the biggest signs of job anxiety. It shows because you fear having to communicate in public or thinking that they may be looking at you.

 

Not all people have the same symptoms or their intensity. It depends on the biological and psychological predisposition, on the knowledge of different tools to avoid anxiety, and on the duration in time.

 

Consequences of suffering from job anxiety

 

Anxiety at work causes a series of consequences in us.

 

1. Excessive worry

 

It can be produced by a high level of self, excessive perfectionism, or fear of a negative assessment of oneself or the work done.

 

2. Tiredness or exhaustion, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

A constant state of tension produced it.

 

3. Excessive verification task

 

Sometimes, because of our obsessive, insecure, perfectionist nature or our fear of making mistakes, we review everything constantly. If our workload is excessive or inadequate, this over-checking can create even more anxiety and stress.

 

4. Slowness, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

The constant review of assignments slows our pace further. This slowness feeds back our state of anxiety since we have time to complete the rest of the activities.

 

5. Do not disconnect

 

We will be constantly attentive to the tasks entrusted to us and pending to respond as soon as possible to any demand.

 

6. Insomnia, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

Perhaps we may find it difficult to sleep, or we repeatedly wake up thinking about work.

 

7. Unsafety

 

As much as they try to convince us that we are good at our job, we never quite believe it.

 

8. Excessive sensitivity, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

With anxiety disorders, we are likely to be more sensitive to our co-workers and the people around us.

 

Treatment techniques

 

The most effective techniques for treating anxiety commonly used in therapy are cognitive psychological, relaxation of physiological activity, techniques focused on behavior, and pharmacological techniques.

 

Cognitive psychological techniques, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

Whose purpose is to train the individual in techniques that improve their capacity for self-observation and self-correction of their thoughts, their behavior, and their emotions.

 

Within these techniques, we can find those that:

 

• Train the individual to interpret situations less anxiously. 

  

• Those who resort to training people in special skills, such as problem-solving, decision making, etc.  

    

• Use cognitive techniques that teach to identify negative thoughts, errors interpreting reality, personal tendencies that generate anxiety, etc., to teach how to change these tendencies or processes later. 

     

Relaxation techniques for physiological activity

 

They are techniques that teach people to relax, decrease physiological activation, loosen muscles, breathe correctly, imagine, etc. You have to practice them every day. Among these techniques are those of progressive muscle, breathing, imagination, etc.

 

Behavior-focused techniques, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

It is considered necessary to expose oneself to the feared situations, approaching the stimuli that cause anxiety (under control situation).

 

All this under the principle of successive approaches (little by little) and the principle of reinforcement (it is important to reward yourself for successes and correct for failures, instead of punishing yourself).

 

In addition, some techniques teach the subject personal or social skills to better cope with anxiety situations.

 

Pharmacological techniques, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

Anxiolytics, also known as minor tranquilizers, are psychotropic drugs with a depressant action on the central nervous system, which reduce or eliminate anxiety symptoms, hoping not to produce sedation or sleep.

 

They are included within the category of anxiotropic drugs. They are a type of drug that reduces anxiety symptoms quickly. With them, you do not learn to control anxiety.

 

Cognitive-behavioral techniques must accompany pharmacological treatments, be prescribed and reviewed by competent personnel, and complemented with psychological treatment.

 

Anxiety prevention

 

We are all exposed to job anxiety. The crucial thing is to identify it and avoid it with daily measures or advice to apply in our daily lives.

 

• Be aware.

 

To face any problem, our capacity for analysis and reflection is key. We must think calmly.

 

• Time management, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

Some anxiety problems come from a lack of organization and poor time management.

 

It is crucial to dedicate time to all areas of our life. Do not let the work part absorb leisure, social life, etc. It is advisable not to bring work home, to continue working after work hours. Only in this way will we avoid focusing all our energies on a single thing.

 

• Physical exercise.

 

In addition to helping us to have good physical and mental health, physical exercise also helps us disconnect from work. The virtues of physical exercise are many, besides reducing job anxiety. Being active will help us burn negative energies, relax and feel better. The moderate practice of a sport is crucial, or walking every day, at least 30 minutes a day.

 

• Entertainment, leisure, or social support.

 

If we are at home and thinking about work, anxiety will accompany us night and day. If we find it difficult to relax, it is always advisable to entertain ourselves with our favorite hobbies: reading, music, movies… We must promote social relationships as an alternative to work.

 

• Avoid feeling guilty, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

When we are doing an activity that we enjoy, we must give ourselves fully to it. Disconnecting is as important an activity as meeting obligations.

 

• Ask for help from an expert, a professional.

 

If our emotional situation overwhelms us, we must seek the opinion of an expert to help us; we must consult with a psychologist. An anxiety specialist can assess our case and establish an appropriate therapy.

 

• Rest, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

Sleeping well is important because we must have time for leisure and rest (as we said before) on vacations and weekends.

 

• Problem resolution.

 

We can have much knowledge, but if we do not take action, they are useless; we must not postpone problems; we must NOT procrastinate; we must not let the problems go by; we have to face them naturally.

 

• Decision-making is important, the worst enemy of work productivity

 

We have to follow a logical process: statement of the problem; analysis of alternatives; choice of the best or the least bad.

 

• Proper diet.

 

We are developing good habits that condition an individual’s nutritional status is a wise measure for eventing. Avoid stimulants like sugar, caffeine, or nicotine.

 

Conclusions

 

Now that you know all about anxiety as the worst enemy of work and productivity you can take preventive steps to avoid getting caught up in this kind of attitude.