Social anxiety can certainly be challenging at work, but there are many things you can do to overcome it. Find out how!
Everyone suffers from anxiety from time to time, but for some those feelings can persist outside the home and into the workplace. Social anxiety is the fear of social interaction or criticism from others, so if you're noticing yourself feeling anxious before, during, and after work and are struggling to keep up with your daily tasks, it's important to put your mental health at the top of your list.
There are many ways to help with your self-confidence levels, so here are some places to start.
Prioritizing self-care is one of the best things you can do for anxiety, and you can do this will the help of technology. If you're feeling smothered by your workload and forgetting to put time into your self-care routine, there is an app to help.
Finch is a pet widget app that tracks your daily moods, giving you the option to customize the furry friend on your phone. It asks you questions about your day, lets you journal your thoughts, encourages breathing exercises, monitors you over time, and even gives you daily words of affirmation. Watch it grow over time. You might just learn something new about yourself.
Download: Finch for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
Exercise is usually the first thing that comes to mind with anxiety, and it's completely true. Physical exercise makes you feel good about yourself and can distract you from negative thinking or self-talk in the workplace. Not only will you release a lot of tension, but establishing a workout routine is a great balance with work activities.
The Fitbit fitness app is great for managing anxiety symptoms, as you can keep track of your heart rate over 90 days or more. Review your hourly activity, resting heart rate, steps taken throughout the day, and keep an eye on your sleep score! Not only is it a good guide for kicking fitness goals, but you'll feel confident going back to work. If you want to create your own set of exercise goals, have a look at the best apps for a quick workout session!
Download: Fitbit: Health and Fitness for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
If you're staying up all night working on that overdue piece for work, there's a chance you're not adhering to a proper sleep routine. Chaotic bedtimes will contribute to heightened anxiety in the working environment, so it needs to be kept in check—especially if you work longer than 8 hours a day.
Lack of sleep can lead to frustration and being unable to focus, so your body needs to be at its best! Various apps are guaranteed to relax your body as you close your eyes, such as the Calm app. Calm includes dozens of soothing bedtime stories and guided meditations to help you with achieving relaxation. This is guaranteed to help you with any anxiousness you may feel about the day ahead.
Download: Calm for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
Nowadays, the online space is part of people's lives more than ever before, and joining an online community of like-minded people on the internet can help with those feelings of self-criticism and doubt at work. Have discussions with people who have similar struggles in the workplace.
Do you find it difficult to speak up about issues to your boss in fear of them being rejected? Do you have anxiety about how your co-workers see them? Communities like Social Anxiety Support have a range of categories for you to get involved in! Sections on how to cope, research, friendships, medication, arts and crafts, and more.
Do you overthink every time you're given due date in the office? Planning your week might seem like such a small task, but it is well worth investing time into becoming organized. It can define the difference between an overload of information and getting things done! Decide on what tasks you need to be complete each week, then create a series of blocks throughout the day to divide them.
Try out the Tweek calendar app, and pay attention to your patterns. This app is perfect if you love to work by color-coding. Take note of when you're most proactive, and jot down those times. Having a clear idea of when you should complete things will give you that sense of clarity, lessening your feelings of anxiety. Here are some custom planners you can make with Google Drive.
Download: Tweek for iOS | Android (Free)
Putting your thoughts onto paper has always been good for getting things out in the open, but what about the convenience of using apps to do this? Diaro allows you to write entries, filter your records, sync to Dropbox, and can be used in over 30 languages. Best of all, it's completely free! Write down your thoughts throughout the day, ideally the way you're feeling at work, and keep track of your behavioral patterns.
What are your triggers? What negative self-talk is contributing to your anxiety? Who is part of your support network at work? Asking yourself these questions will help you to understand the reasons behind your anxiousness, giving you a clear view of how to find the best strategies.
Download: Diaro for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
Anxiousness about work may lead you to doubt your abilities, but there are many ways for you to polish your existing skills and overcome that. Focus on confidence and self-improvement with the help of Udemy. The platform a library of courses at your convenience, and many are affordable.
This way, you won't be feeling anxious about your abilities at work, with having the power to learn new skills. If you're a digital marketer working at an agency, for instance, you may like to learn more about consumer psychology to better understand your clients and what they're looking for.
If you're an email marketer, you may want to improve your customer database but have no idea where to start. No matter what your occupation, there is a course to grow your confidence!
Download: Udemy for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)
Anxiety can make some people worry about the way they sound to others, and if you're a fresh university graduate with a job, you might be feeling anxious about the way you communicate at work. There is a range of ways to improve your interpersonal skills and help your anxiety, including apps such as Speeko.
Record a presentation or short script and submit it in the app for feedback on your technique, skills, and overall clarity. Now you can build up confidence using your voice. If you're still finding it challenging, here are some tips and tools to communicate with clients in real-time.
Even though pushing through some aspects of your career may be more difficult for some, anxiety needs to be talked about in any field of work you're involved in.
Always try to communicate your concerns with your manager, assistant manager, or somebody you trust, especially if it impacts your overall ability to work.
No matter what you're feeling, there is always support available to you.
Saffron has been freelancing for over five years, specializing in the copywriting and creative writing industry. She is based in Melbourne, Australia.
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