Anxiety in the work place

In today’s work environment with its constant demand’s to do more with less, frequent reorganisations and regular rounds of redundancies it is easy to feel very unsettled, uninspired, anxious and fearful.

Anxiety in the work place can leave some people with racing thoughts and struggling to switch off.  I recommend anything that you can focus on to distract your mind, whether it’s a puzzle, movie or exercise.  For some people the racing thoughts, start off mild and get more extreme the more you focus on the worst possible outcome.   What is important to remember when if you find yourself in this situation, is ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is there reason to believe this will happen?
  • What evidence is there to support this assumption?
  • Is there any chance I am blowing this out of proportion?

If we take the example of fearing being made redundant.  It is important to distinguish between the wild rumours that go around office and the times when organisations are genuinely being restructured.  If you decide that it is simply a rumour then fine, remind yourself of that on a regular basis.  It is always worth remembering that organisations always value effective people especially when everyone is stretched and there is a huge business costs associated with replacing valuable staff.

At some point in your career you are going to be in the situation where you are part of a re-organisation and may face the genuine threat of redundancy.  One way to tackle the anxiety this type of situation creates, is to focus on a plan B, what you can do if the worse happens.  It is natural when facing a threat of redundancy to want to play it safe and stick with what you know.  While I was never made redundant, I did go through several re-organisations where colleagues where made redundant.  I found having a plan B comforting.  When writing my plan B, I always remembered that it was natural to feel uncomfortable with something that is new and unfamiliar, so don’t let the fear stop you.  To put my fear of failing into perspective, I always imagined myself in an old peoples home at the end of my life and wondered if I would regret not taking the risk of trying to something new.  So if you decide to write a plan B don’t just stick to the tried and tested.

Related Posts

  • Ankle Sprains

    Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries, which involves trauma to the ankle ligament.  A sprain occurs when one or more of your ligaments have been stretched, twisted or torn, usually as a result of excessive force being applied to a joint.  They often occur if you change direction or speed suddenly, fall and land awkwardly or collide with an object or person – such as when playing sports. If you have ever sprained your ankle, then you will probably remember the initial pain, the considerable swelling and bruising.  The swelling from a sprain will often occur soon after the injury, but the bruising may not show until later or it may not show at all. Bruising can sometimes occur some distance from the affected joint, as blood from the damaged tissue seeps along the muscles and around the joint before coming close to the skin. It should be noted that ankle sprains take at least 12 weeks to heal. When to visit your GP? Most ankle sprains are relatively minor and can be cared for by self-treatment.  However, you should visit  your GP if you think you have a sprain and:

    • the pain is particularly severe
    • you cannot move the injured joint or muscle
    • you cannot put any weight on the injured limb, or it gives way when you try to use it
    • the injured area looks crooked or has unusual lumps or bumps (other than swelling)
    • you have numbness, discolouration or coldness in any part of the injured area
    • the symptoms have not started to improve within a few days of self-treatment
    Ankle Sprain Self-Treatment Guide Step 1 - RICE
    • Rest your ankle.
    • Ice (wrap ice cubes in a tea towel) and hold over the ankle for 5 - 20 minutes every 2 hours for 2-3 days, then daily for the next 3 days.
    • You can then bandage the ankle in a figure 8 with the heel in the centre of the figure 8, with a compression or elastic bandage.
    • Finally you should elevate your ankle to reduce the blood flow to the area, for the first 24 hours.
    Step 2 - Immobilise joint For next two weeks immobilise the joint by strapping (with Zinc Oxide tape) in a figure of 8 to support, stabilise and immobilise the ankle. Step 3 - Cohesive bandage Now switch to a cohesive bandage to allow more movement. Step 4 - Post Acute When there is no heat present (normally around day 3 or day 4 after you sprained your ankle), still support with a  bandage, but start to contrast bath your ankle.  Contrast bathing increases the blood supply to the ankle to support the healing process.  You contrast bath, for 10 minutes every day, put your ankle in a bucket of cold water (20 degrees centigrade) for 2 minutes, then switch to putting your ankle in a bucket of hot water (40-50 degrees centigrade) for 2 minutes, keep repeating and finish on cold. Step 5- Mobilisations Mobilisation is the stage where you increase the range of movement of your ankle.  You do then after step 4 and only when the movement is pain free.
    • Circle your ankle clockwise repeat 3 times
    • Circle your ankle anti-clockwise repeat 3 times
    • Lie down on your back, point your foot and your toes and then bend your foot up the ceiling and the same time straighten your toes - repeat 3 times.
    • Now sit on a char and draw the alphabet in the air with your foot this will move your ankle full a range of movement.
    • Once you have your full range of movement back, then you can start increasing your proprioception.  You can stand on a pillow on one leg (your affected ankle), and build up the time until you feel that you stability is the same in both your legs.
         

  • Is this you…

    Like a trusty guard dog, your smart phone probably rests right next to you (or even under your pillow) every night when you go to sleep. You’re able to answer calls, texts and emails at a moment’s notice – even during the wee hours of the night.  And isn’t that the best part about technology? Always being connected and never truly shutting down or logging off?  Not so fast. You probably don’t even realize how your smart phone habits are affecting your sleep. 1. It keeps your mind psychologically engaged Smart phones were designed to make us more productive and our lives easier. They’re designed to entertain us and provide information. But when it’s time to turn off the lights and go to sleep, the last thing our brain needs is more information and more entertainment. (And that seems fair enough – we give our brains enough to think about during the day!) The smart phone era has forced us to feel like we can never really log off, even when we’re sleeping.   Your mind can stay active and engaged long after you’ve scrolled through Instagram or responded to a few work emails. Going to bed and falling asleep should be a peaceful, happy and relaxing experience. Engaging with your phone too close to bedtime can negatively impact those feelings. 2. The blue light from the screen suppresses melatonin Blue light from screens of laptops, tablets and smartphones supresses melatonin.  Melatonin is a hormone responsible for controlling your sleep-wake cycle. So when your body runs low on it, you can experience insomnia, tiredness during the day and irritability. 3. Alerts delay REM sleep Knowing your smartphone is at hand can mean you are aware of new email alerts or social media alerts.  These alerts or simply waiting for these alerts can delay REM sleep. So if you want to improve the quality of your sleep simply have 1 hour technology free before bed. Reference https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01413.2009  

  • How do your friends impact your health?

    In my last blog article, I explored how your social network including your friends and family impact your motivation to be healthy. Being part of a group, or better yet, lots of groups is good for your health.  The kind of groups doesn't seem to matter - it could be a family group, friendship group, religious or spiritual group, tennis or book club.  What is important is that you identify with it and see it as a meaningful part of your life. Here are five good reasons why?

    1. It can help you live longer
      • "As a rule of thumb if you belong to no groups but decide to join one, you cut the risk of dying over the next year in half" R Putman, Bowling Alone.
      • An adequate social life provides health benefits on a par with quitting smoking
      • The benefits of social ties are akin to those of exercise once you retire.  In one study retirees belonging to two social groups had a 2% risk of death but if they lost touch with both groups it jumps to 12%.
    2. It can protect your heart
      • Heart disease is generally lower for those who are members of a social group.
      • The risk of death from heart disease diminishes if you belong to more than one social group.
    3. It can cut your risk of a cold
      • Those belonging to a wide range of social groups e.g family friends, work, recreation or religious groups are least likely to come down with a cold.  Six or more types of diverse groups cut the risk of a cold more than four times.
    4. It can alleviate depression
      • The more social groups you belong to the less likely you are to suffer from depression.
      • If you are depressed, joining a group can help you recover and cut the risk of a relapse by nearly a 1/4 if you join one group or by almost 2/3 if you join three.
      • If you are a member of a religious or spiritual group you are less likely to have depressive symptoms and more likely to have feelings of well being.
    5. It motivates you to be healthy
    References J Holt-Lunstad, T B Smith, J B Layton (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review, Plos Medicine NK Steffens, T Cruwys, C Haslam, J Jetten, S A Haslam Social group memberships in retirement are associated with reduced risk of premature death: evidence from a longitudinal cohort study, BMJ Open Volume 6 Issue 2 D Reed, D McGee, K Yano, M Feinleib (1983) Social Networks and coronary heart disease among Japanese men in Hawaii, American Journal of Epidemiology 117(4) 384-96
    DC Classen, SL Pestotnik, JF Lloyd, JP Burke (1997) Adverse drug events in hospitalised patients.  Excess length of stay, extra costs and attributable mortality JAMA   Jan 22-29;277(4):301-6.
    F Tabassum, J Mohan, P Smith (2016) Association of volunteering with mental well-being: a lifecourse analysis of a national population-based longitudinal study in the UK BMJ Open 6(8)
    A Moe, O Hellzen, K Ekker, I Enmarker (2013) Inner strength in relation to perceived physical and mental health among the oldest old people with chronic illness Aging Mental Health 17(2):189-96.
    M P Aranda (2008) Relationship between religious involvement and psychological well-being: a social justice perspective Health and Social Work 33 (1): 9 - 21
    M Tarrant, K Warmoth, C Code, S Dean, V A Goodwin, K Stein, T Sugavanam (2016) Creating psyhcological connections between intervention recipients: development and focus group evaluation of a group singing session for people with aphasia BMJ Open 2016; 6(2)