Understanding the How Why, When and What of Dealing with Anxiety

It’s easy to get worked up with little things when you’re at work. You always feel like people are looking at you and judging you. So you also end up judging yourself and feeling bad even if you’ve only made a small mistake.

How Anxiety Works

Most people tend to focus on the negative. A small reprimand from the boss, saying something wrong at a business meeting, phrasing a business letter incorrectly—these are all minor things but in our minds they become bigger and we start ruminating about them. We replay them in our heads, either correcting them or providing a defense for them. If you stop to pay attention, you’ll find that you’re doing this in the middle of many tasks.

Why Anxiety Can Be a Good Thing

Once you realize that you’re anxious, you might start feeling anxious about being anxious! Anxiety is a normal human emotion and, to a certain extent, it is good. It helps us to be aware of danger. It keeps us safe.

When Does Anxiety Become a Bad Thing?

There are times when anxiety can take over your mind and stop you from being productive. You might start out the day with a great deal of enthusiasm but it might wane in just a couple of hours because of the anxiety. You might feel exhausted by the end of the day. You might eat more and sleep excessively. These are all signs of anxiety.

What Can You Do to Deal with Anxiety?

How do you stop anxiety from affecting you?

        Try writing down your feelings in a notebook that you carry around with you.

        A lot of people watch cute cat and dog videos to get a moment of relief during their day.

        A few deep breaths are a simple but efficient way to deal with momentary anxiety.

        Go to a therapist and talk about your feelings

        Try this guided meditation (or any other guided meditation that you like).

Try to be aware of your feelings throughout the day and keep checking in with yourself.