INTHEBLACK Mental Health 2021 - Magazine - Page 16
Mental Health and Resilience
W O R K S M A R T // A N X I E T Y
KEEP CALM
AND
CARRY ON
A B I G P RESENTATI ON, A N I M PORTA NT MEETING, AN EXAM, A
DI F F I C U LT C ONV ERSATI ON WI TH A COL L EAG U E O R MANAG ER – WE
H AV E A LL E X P ERI ENCED THE PRI CK L E OF ANXIETY AT SO ME PO INT
I N OUR WORK I NG L I V ES. HERE’S WHAT WO R KPLAC ES AND
I NDI V I DUA LS CA N DO A B O U T IT.
STORY LINDA MOON
16 ITB October 2021
There is a lot at stake in our professional lives –
from financial survival to social prestige. Within
this competitive environment, we are also often
thrust into new situations that test us.
Work anxiety is normal, says Christina
Canters, director of communications skills
training company The C Method, and host of
business communications podcast Stand Out
Get Noticed.
Our worries are often based on inherent
fears of being rejected from the tribe,
harking back to our caveman days.
“It would mean we’d be thrown out with
no food, shelter, and likely be eaten by a
bear,” Canters says. An ego-bruising on the
job isn’t deadly, but our “primitive” brain
generates the same fear, she explains.
Some stress is a good thing. “It means
you’re challenging yourself,” Canters says.
However, if anxious thoughts are negatively
affecting your work or are prolonged, you
need to address this.
Common physical signs of excessive
anxiety, according to mental health site
Beyond Blue, include panic attacks, heart
palpitations, tightening of the chest, rapid
breathing, restlessness, excessive worry and
fear, obsessive thinking and avoiding anxietyinducing situations.
Sonakshi Babbar, co-founder of Anxyz,
an AI-powered tech platform designed
to help manage anxiety in the workplace,
says employers can play a significant role
in reducing employee anxiety. Her research
reveals that three-quarters of Australian
employees believe workplaces should provide
support to those experiencing anxiety or
depression. With studies showing those who
feel heard at work are 4.6 times more likely
to perform better, it is a win for all, she says.
Babbar, an ambassador for The Big
Anxiety festival, says creating a culture of
wellbeing and belonging, as well as investing
in employees, is key to reducing work-related
anxiety. Secondly, mental wellbeing support
needs to be as accessible as the tools we use to
collaborate at work. Here, tech-based wellness
and support tools – confidential and easy to
access – have an advantage, Babbar says.
As to what the individuals themselves can
do to overcome anxiety, Babbar and Canters
suggest the following strategies.