There’s no single cause for anxiety in the workplace, but there are several known factors that might play a role. Understanding potential triggers helps you learn how to help employees with anxiety and identify causes of stress in the workplace.
Common causes of anxiety at work include:
- High workload and unrealistic deadlines: Employees who face daunting or unrealistic demands can experience high workplace stress levels and feel underappreciated.
- Lack of control and autonomy: Limited decision-making power can leave employees feeling powerless and anxious.
- Ambiguous roles and unclear expectations: Unclear expectations and vague job responsibilities cause confusion, apathy, frustration, and anxiety.
- Job insecurity and fears of layoffs: Uncertainties are a given in today’s economic landscape. Worrying about performance concerns or job security can fuel fears, leading to heightened anxiety.
- Poor management or lack of support: Not getting positive support from leadership amplifies employee stress. Look for the signs of toxic leadership to avoid this.
- Interpersonal conflict: Tension or conflict with colleagues or leadership can create a hostile environment that contributes to chronic stress and anxiety.
- Lack of work-life balance: Constant work demands without personal time off will leave employees feeling burned out and anxious.
- Fear of failure and perfectionism: If employees are afraid to make mistakes or they feel pressured to perform, they’re much more likely to have anxiety.
- Unhealthy physical work environment: Poor lighting, high noise levels, and not having ergonomic workspaces can make employees uncomfortable and increase anxiety.
- Lack of career progression or limited growth opportunities: A lack of growth opportunities (perceived or real) often drives employees to feel stagnant in their roles, leading to anxiety about their future.
- Changes in company culture or policies: Sudden shifts in company values or policies can cause uncertainty and cause unease.
Keep in mind that the effects of stress in the workplace over a prolonged period can contribute to workplace anxiety. It’s important to address these factors proactively and ensure you’re maintaining a supportive work environment.
How to help employees with workplace anxiety
Employers can support employees with workplace anxiety, but it requires a compassionate and proactive approach. Being intentional and willing to address issues will help foster a culture where people feel more empowered and valued than anxious.
The first steps to creating a supportive work environment are learning to recognize early signs of anxiety and implementing supportive policies that prioritize mental health and well-being. These small efforts will go a long way in reducing stress and improving productivity.
Here are practical, effective strategies and resources to help employees with anxiety and make your workplace more positive for everyone.
Recognize the signs of anxiety
Identifying the signs is crucial when managing staff with anxiety issues — be on the lookout for a decrease in productivity, withdrawal from social interactions, increased absences, or general restlessness.
Taking a nonintrusive and respectful approach is essential when confronting employees who might be experiencing anxiety symptoms or work-related stress. First, observe them without making assumptions or approaching them in a way that can be stressful or cause discomfort. As you learn to understand the signs, you can better support employees with workplace anxiety.
Signs of anxiety in the workplace might include:
- Excessive worrying about work performance or tasks
- Frequent irritability
- Mood swings
- Difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks
- Avoidance of work-related interactions or meetings (social or professional)
- Physical symptoms, including headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, or muscle tension
- Increased absenteeism and frequent sick days
- Overly self-critical or anxious thoughts
- Fear of making mistakes
- Procrastination or delay in completing tasks
- Nervous habits like nail-biting or fidgeting
- Having difficulty making decisions
Address the root issues of workplace anxiety
If you take the time to examine and address the underlying causes of workplace anxiety, you can work to cultivate a healthier work environment. Although the task can be tedious, it’s beneficial and can help you alleviate some (or most) of the sources of anxiety people on your team might be facing.
It can be helpful to hold 1:1 meetings with employees or send out an anonymous survey to employees for feedback. Once you identify causes, you can start establishing clear expectations, utilizing feedback mechanisms, or offering more autonomy to help.
Create a supportive environment
Creating a work environment that’s creative, supportive, and caring is an effective way to reduce anxiety and promote well-being. Studies support that when employees feel supported and engaged in their roles, they’re more productive, have higher morale, and will stay with a company longer.
Create a supportive workplace environment by:
- Promoting open communication: Encourage employees to openly share their concerns and reassure them that leadership is committed to thoughtfully addressing them.
- Modeling supportive behavior: Prioritizing mental well-being means leadership must show empathy and be willing to set an example that demonstrates how much your organization supports mental health in the workplace.
- Establishing and ensuring psychological safety: Creating a culture that ensures psychological safety will encourage employees to voice their thoughts without fear of retaliation or judgment.
Opportunity for clinician quote - Highlight a tip for employers on how they can create psychological safety.
Provide resources and support
Providing adequate mental health resources and support to employees struggling with anxiety can make a notable difference in their ability to overcome it.
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs): EAPs are free wellness programs that typically offer confidential services, like counseling and mental health support, that can be critical for employees trying to manage symptoms of anxiety.
- Mental health days: Establishing policies that offer mental health days off demonstrates an organization's commitment to overall well-being.
- Professional help: Partnering with mental health platforms and providing access to online counseling in your mental health benefits means employees have convenient access to help for their anxiety. Talkspace, for example, offers flexible, secure online therapy for employees, making it easier than ever to seek support discreetly.
Offer training and education for the workplace
Educating employees and leadership about the importance of prioritizing mental health helps reduce stigma. Normalize this through training and education that focuses on mental health awareness and fosters a more understanding and empathetic workplace culture.
Training can include things like:
- Workshops
- Seminars
- Online modules
- Retreats
- Conferences
- Campaigns
- Stress management techniques
- Recognizing symptoms of anxiety
Implement clear policies and boundaries
It’s important to create — and then promote and enforce — clear policies and boundaries. When they’re known, followed, and respected, effective policies can prevent or drastically reduce workplace anxiety.
Consider implementing the following workplace policies:
- Work-life balance policies: Offer flexible hours and remote work options whenever possible. Discourage excessive overtime to prevent employees from becoming burned out or overburdened. The “always on” hustle culture many workers today have adopted is detrimental to work-life balance for employees and not sustainable long-term.
- Boundaries for communication: Establish guidelines about after-hours communication that might pressure employees to respond outside work hours. Avoiding unhealthy expectations from leadership can be instrumental in helping employees establish boundaries.
- Privacy and confidentiality: Reinforce that privacy measures are a priority when and if employees disclose mental health concerns. Create a safe environment to foster trust and ensure everyone feels safe when seeking support.
Fostering mental wellness with Talkspace
Businesses that partner with Talkspace can bring awareness and resources to their organization, successfully supporting employees with workplace anxiety and other mental health conditions. Talkspace offers a comprehensive, accessible range of online mental health services. From therapy for anxiety to coping skills for depression, employees can use Talkspace on their own terms.
Request a demo to learn how increased access to mental healthcare reduces barriers to care. Find out how to help employees with anxiety and make positive changes in your organization today.
Sources:
- Huff, Charlotte. n.d. “Employers Are Increasing Support for Mental Health.” Https://Www.Apa.Org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/01/trends-employers-support. Accessed November 11, 2024.
- Clack, Lesley. 2021. “Employee Engagement: Keys to Organizational Success.” In Springer eBooks, 1001–28. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-30025-8_77. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-30025-8_77. Accessed November 11, 2024.