Anxiety in employees can have a negative impact on their performance. Workplace anxiety is frequently underestimated, and it may be more prevalent than you realize. Workplace stress in the United States is among the highest in the world, costing employers billions of dollars in lost revenue. Seeking Online Counseling from the best counselors would be beneficial.

Anxiety, also known unofficially as “work anxiety disorder,” can have two effects on employee performance:

• Workers may experience work-related anxiety and performance anxiety, which, in its most severe form, can lead to work phobia.
• Other types of anxiety can have an impact on workers’ health and productivity at work.

In either case, offering comprehensive mental health benefits, promoting work-life balance, and enforcing zero-tolerance policies for workplace harassment and bullying can help offset the costly consequences of work-related anxiety.

What is workplace anxiety?

Work phobia (ergophobia) is a stress-related anxiety disorder that manifests as a fear of public speaking or making mistakes at work. Employees suffering from pre-work anxiety may be overly concerned about future events or situations, such as project deadlines or returning to the office after a long absence.

Causes

The Future of Work Outlook survey conducted by Monster revealed high levels of work-related anxiety, particularly among women, who are more likely to work in customer-facing roles or in high-stress industries such as healthcare. Women also bear more domestic responsibilities and are more likely to face workplace harassment and bullying.

Performance reviews, deadlines, work travel, and presentations, particularly if they require public speaking in front of large groups, are other sources of workplace anxiety.

How managers can help with workplace anxiety

There are several best practices you can implement to address and even prevent workplace anxiety:

• Get to the bottom of the problem. You don’t want to pry into your employees’ lives, but if the source of their anxiety is a problem at work, you should let them know they can tell you about it. Once you know the answer, you can start working on the problem.
• Be helpful during times of transition. Prepare for employees to experience workplace anxiety after long periods of absence, such as returning to on-site work after working remotely. Allow them to gradually return to the flow of work.
• Be aware of the warning signs. Anxiety is often indicated by frequent absences or a tendency to dwell on worst-case scenarios. Be aware that talented employees may decline promotions due to fear of public speaking or business travel.
• Mental health issues should be de-stigmatized. Discuss mental health resources with your managers and teams, make sure your mental health policies are prominently displayed on your employee website and other HR materials, and make it clear that there will be no penalties for employees who seek help.
• Make reasonable adjustments. If possible, provide childcare assistance or flexible scheduling options to employees who have childcare needs. Allow employees to leave large meetings to take a break or modify their workloads during times of crisis.

Promoting mental health in the workplace

Some management styles are more effective than others at reducing workplace anxiety. A leadership style that emphasizesemphasizes the value employees bring to the workplace and uses mentoring and empathy to maximize innovation can aid in the prevention of workplace anxiety.

Maintaining a Professional Attitude

Encourage employees to remain professional, focused, and cordial at all times. An overly casual work environment can devolve into one in which inappropriate humor and even offensive behavior become the norm.

Be open and honest.

Keeping your employees informed about the financial health of your company can reduce gossip, alleviate fear caused by uncertainty, and foster a sense of belonging.

Establish Limits

Make it clear to your employees that you support work-life balance by sticking to a reasonable work schedule, taking vacation and PTO, and not checking email during your off hours. This communicates to your employees that they can and should take time away from work to focus on other aspects of their lives.

Frequently check staffing levels

A difficult workload is a common source of stress. Overworked employees will frequently strive to meet your expectations until they are exhausted and workplace anxiety sets in. In the long run, adequate staffing levels will result in lower absenteeism and higher retention.

Establish Quality Control Measures

Nobody is flawless. Collaboration improves work quality, whereas expecting perfection without it creates a stressful workplace. Create a work environment where quality control mechanisms ensure that everyone’s work is vetted and where mistakes are accepted as a normal part of the process.

Check-in Frequently

Conduct wellness surveys, host mental health expert talks, and have frontline managers monitor employee stress levels during one-on-one meetings. Wellness surveys should not only assess your employees’ mental health but also whether they are aware of the mental health resources that are available to them.

Provide a Variety of Services

Consider investing in an employee assistance program (EAP) that includes a generous number of free therapy sessions per year, in addition to healthcare plans with robust mental health benefits. However, don’t stop there. You can also offer your employees opportunities to participate in activities that promote mental health, such as discounted health club membership, employee resource groups, or brown bag lunches with nutritionists, sleep experts, or other wellness experts.

Encourage Adequate Rest Periods

Finally, encourage employees to take breaks and disconnect from work. In your break room, provide water, herbal tea, and healthy snacks. Sponsor a lunchtime walking club or offer paid community hours so that employees can spend time together working on charitable projects and making meaningful connections.

Take a break from worrying about the challenges ahead by recognizing your employees’ accomplishments. Make your workplace a place where people can collaborate, be creative, and, when necessary, receive support and compassion.