448: I struggle with anxiety at work and don’t want to lose my job
In this episode, we're responding to a listener who wrote in saying "Help! I struggle with anxiety at work and I don't want to lose my job."
Listen in for our tips on how nutrition affects anxiety at work, plus the power of EFT Tapping for starting your day feeling calm and in control.
The anxious mind has a negative bias and will look for all the things that might go wrong. From the tasks we struggle with to the worst possible outcome of losing our job.
This makes anxiety worse, and we start zooming in on all the ways we might mess up, or start imagining being told we’ve lost our job.
What we need to do instead is redirect our focus to supporting our strengths, and taking steps to calm anxiety.
Here’s what helps:
Get specific
Anxiety likes to generalize, it will tell you everything is wrong at work. Get a piece of paper and write out the things you struggle with and consider how you might get support in those specific areas, then write out what’s right: the things you do well, your strong points and natural abilities.
Keep the paper with you and review it regularly so you are reminded to strengthen the areas that challenge you and appreciate yourself for the areas where you excel.
Nutrition
Regular good quality meals to keep your blood sugar steady. Avoid coffee and carbs first thing - they will give you a burst of energy, but it will drop sharply mid-morning and this can make you feel shaky.
Caffeine can increase anxiety, look for alternatives to caffeinated drinks like red bush tea, or cereal coffee. Favour teas that can help calm anxiety like chamomile, or Pukka Love or Relax tea.
Prioritize good rest
Do all you can to relax and sleep well before work - a good day starts the night before.
For help with calming anxiety and improving sleep we recommend:
Gentle yoga
Applying lavender oil before sleep
Allow space for morning self-care
Wake up early enough to have some time to relax and meditate or write out your gratitudes before work
Try EFT Tapping to help you calm your anxiety and prepare for the day ahead.
And use Tapping again in the evening to clear any worries from the day and settle your mind to sleep.
You can find guided morning and evening Tapping Sessions in our First Responder Course for stopping anxiety attacks.
Also in this course you’ll find a guided SOS Tapping Session that can help you feel calm and in control in just 3 minutes. Many anxiety sufferers have found they can follow this quick practice during a rest room break and feel more comfortable and confident at work.
There are many things that can help calm general anxiety and anxiety in the workplace, the key is in learning some calming practices and trying them. Don’t let your mind show you the worst case scenario, learn some anxiety slayer skills and practice them at every opportunity.