A lot of Americans deal with anxiety disorder, but only one-third of 40 million Americans who suffer from it receive much-needed treatment.
Career Coach to Millennials Ashley Stahl wrote in an article for The Huffington Post that anxiety is quite a toxic ingredient in the workplace. Stahl cited the case of one woman named Shanelle who suffers badly from anxiety. This prompted her to ask for a demotion and pay cut because she felt she wasn't doing well. She did this even though her work performance was often being raved about by her superiors.
Stahl shared three common workplace anxieties and offered effective ways on how to deal with them.
One fear that is quite common in the workplace is the fear of asking questions. Stahl said whenever employees decline to ask the right questions, they are paving the "path to a slow career death." She understands that it can get pretty intimidating approaching superiors at work, especially when employees are new. However, people need to continuously learn and grow to be good at their jobs, and the only way that will happen is if they learn from the higher-ups.
"Even if your instinct is to keep quiet at first, don't be afraid to make inquiries from your colleagues. If you're really worried about the impression it gives off, write the question down first and see if you can dig up an answer on your own, but don't spend too much time on it," she said.
Another thing employees worry about is giving and receiving criticism. Stahl said criticism is a main source of conflict in the workplace, but when done properly, it can be an effective method of learning. As for receiving criticism, Stahl said people need to accept it graciously.
"Don't take it personally or get defensive. Stop and actually listen to what the deliverer is saying and take down some notes. Thank them for their insights and offer to follow up with them if you have any questions," she said.
Third, Stahl said some employees struggle with feeling worthy. This feeling gets worse whenever people mess up, miss a deadline, or receive negative feedback from their bosses. But Stahl said people need to snap out of this negativity and focus on pep talk.
When people continuously bring themselves down, they're bound to fail. But if people set themselves up to become better, they will know how to "power on."
"Are you letting a workplace anxiety rob you of what you truly deserve professionally? Whether it's landing your dream job, developing a new skill set, or increasing your salary, don't let your fears hold you back. Make a commitment to yourself to tackles your issues, use the tools available to you to conquer your fears, and kiss that workplace anxiety goodbye," urged Stahl.
