Work can be extremely stressful. Difficult clients, deadlines and poor management can cause you to sleep badly and to always feel on edge. If you are finding that your job is causing you anxiety, you do not need to go on feeling like this. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to combat workplace anxiety. Read on to find out more.

Attend counselling

Many workplaces now have wellbeing schemes which provide access to counselling. Weekly sessions with an anxiety counselling service can help you to get whatever has been bothering you off your chest. They provide you with a confidential space in which you can talk freely about your boss, your colleagues and how you feel about your job. None of what you say will be fed back to your manager or employer. The counsellor may also introduce you to some techniques such as mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which can help you to recognise the triggers which cause anxiety and allow you to better manage how you respond to them.

Think about your work-life balance

A primary driver of workplace anxiety is a poor work-life balance. While both your career and your personal life are important, it is vital that you take steps to keep the two areas as separate as possible. If you do not do so, you may find that personal problems impact your ability to do your job or that you find yourself worrying about work while at home with your family. You can maintain a healthy work-life balance by not checking work emails or answering your work mobile outside of office hours. You should also make it clear to your friends and family that when you are at work, they should only contact you in an emergency. Doing this will prevent your personal life from distracting you from your work. It is also worthwhile looking at the amount of overtime you work. If you find yourself having to do a lot of overtime, you should sit down with your boss and ask for a review of your workload, as it could be that you are being overburdened with too many tasks.

Speak to your boss

It is always better if you can be honest with your boss. Many people worry that their boss may feel they are weak if they start a conversation about workplace anxiety. However, a conversation with your boss may enable you to make changes which improve your mental health. For example, you may be able to change your working pattern so you can spend more time with your family.