Anxiety can ambush us without any warning. It happens so fast that you don’t even have enough time to try to calm yourself… All you know is that your legs are shaking and you’re starting to feel out of breath.

It’s totally normal to feel anxious at work – most of us work in really stressful environments. Here are a few quick tips on how to cope when your anxiety says “Hello!” on that business meeting in the morning.

 

How To Cope With Anxiety At Work

 

Coping with anxiety at work is a task of every sensitive soul, but essentially – it’s still the same anxiety, same “fight or flight” reaction you’re trying to diffuse. Here’s what you can do to cope with anxiety at work, naturally.

P. S. We’re not always in a place where we can cuddle up in our blankets and sip valerian root tea (which can make you sleepy!), so I’m skipping meditation and anything else that’s impossible to practice at work.

 

1) Step out of your cabinet, cubicle or work desk and go outside

 

Change your surroundings and take a lot of slow, deep breaths to minimize your stress response and prevent it from spiraling out of control.

 

2) Try to concentrate your attention on your senses

 

A lot of times anxiety comes to wreck us just because we’re a bit too tuned into those scenarios that are playing in our heads.

To feel less anxious, do the exact opposite, and try to get back to the present moment. What can you see? smell? taste? hear? Do not judge anything, just name it. It’s a perfect mindfulness exercise that helps you to get grounded.

 

3) Write down your thoughts on your phone

 

Writing your thoughts down helps to take some load off of your head, so this can also help you to cope with anxiety. The trick to do it discreetly is to use your phone. Open a note-taking app and write your feelings down.

Sometimes just noticing and giving the name to your emotions allows you to feel calmer.

 

4) Remind yourself that there’s nothing wrong with not feeling 100%

 

It’s okay to feel anxious – it’s just one of the big range of emotions we as humans can feel. Yet, it will not last forever. Anxious thoughts and feelings will pass, and you will be ok again – I promise. There were hundreds of times when I thought that I am doomed to be anxious every single day, but it changed. It will change for you as well, be patient, and self-compassionate with yourself until then.

When you feel anxious at work, just tell yourself “Okay, I’m anxious at work. There’s nothing wrong with that. I can wait it out, even if it’s unpleasant.” You can also access and read this calming script on your phone, which should also help you to feel better.

Stay strong.

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