With organisations aiming for ever-higher efficiency and turnover, more is expected from employees in terms of achievement and output. It’s no wonder that many are suffering from anxiety at work.

In many cases, such anxieties can be easily addressed without the need to consult with expensive therapists.

Calming intellectual anxiety at work

A constant and demanding utilisation of your cognitive functions can be one of the reasons for anxiety at work.

Your intellectual strengths need to be working resourcefully, creatively and efficiently to support you in a successful expansion of your career.

Practises to cope with this type of workplace anxiety include meditation, colouring and imagination-activation. Meditation is particularly helpful for increasing concentration during work.

A 2011 analysis showed that meditating regularly over an eight-week period had a powerful impact on one’s mental wellbeing. This was supported by the observation of activated grey matter in the areas of the brain that control memory and acumen.

Meditation involves closing your eyes and breathing in and out while deeply focussing on every breath.

In addition, you can consult professional videos about meditation on sites like mindful.org or download smartphone apps like Headspace.

You can also try colouring books for adults. Colouring has been found to increase an employee’s concentration and accuracy as the focus on intricate patterns of images and sceneries requires a great deal of attention.

If you don’t want to spend money on a colouring book, search online for downloadable image outlines.

Practising imagination-activation techniques is helpful for an individual who experiences any kind of mind-block. Try this technique for moments when you feel like your mind goes blank or isn’t generating innovative ideas.

All that’s required is a comfortable spot and an imagination that can run wild within the parameters you set. You may guide your own imagination or use online materials such as the Academy for Guided Imagery website.

Calming emotional anxiety at work

Emotional anxiety at work can be quite distracting for an employee. Whether these emotions are precipitated by situations at work or in one’s personal life, they need to be managed immediately for the sake of your career.

Try tapping. Acupressure points of the human body can be tapped to coax out pessimistic attitudes. There is a significant number of critical viewpoints associated with this relief technique.

To gain some insight into how this technique can be implemented, check out the website created by Gary Craig, the technique’s creator.

If you feel a bit hesitant because of the awkward scenario it might cause you at work, take washroom breaks as needed to practise this technique in private.

Another way of coping with emotional anxiety is with Pranayama breathing. One of these techniques entails closing off one of the nostrils with your finger and breathing in with the other nostril. Repeat the exercise with the other nostril.

When your body gets extremely heated in an angry situation, you can utilise the cooling breath technique. This technique involves breathing in several times through your mouth as if you were sipping a cool drink through a straw.

The simplest way to bounce back from anxiety is to induce a calming atmosphere in the workplace. You’ll need to focus on creating a beautiful environment. Make sure that the lighting is mellow and warm.

Set up objects around you at various ranges so your eyes can alternate between the close-up view of a computer screen and a more distant focal point.

Taking all these steps will release some of the pressure in your head, particularly that on your eyes and brain. Keep some soft music around. Classical music, in particular, is soothing.

Calming physical stress at work

Whether your work routine involves constant standing around or sitting, you can be sure that it may cause you some physical anxiety.

Human bodies are not designed to do too much of any one particular activity over a long period of time. Muscles can contract and get deoxygenated, leading to soreness and exhaustion.

To cope with muscular tension, it’s recommended that you frequently practise some relaxed breathing in between your work periods.

Walk around and stretch every few hours. You can easily walk around while talking on your mobile phone.

Organise your desk or workstation to impart the impression that your working life is not as hectic as it may actually be. At the same time, you’ll be getting a bit of physical activity by moving around while you’re organising.

Calming social anxiety at work

Social anxiety at work reveals itself in feeling tense about interacting with your colleagues. A simple way to start bouncing back from this workplace dilemma is to eat lunch outside the office with your colleagues.

Alternatively, if you’re a fan of homemade food, bring in your meal and share it with your workmates.

Food cleanses the soul and brings people together. Social anxiety can also be smoothed over by working out at a nearby gym or sports centre.

You may even be fortunate enough to have company-sponsored access to a work-out facility organised by your employer.

Not only will you find yourself able to interact more freely with your colleagues, but you’ll also be improving your health and mind.

This article first appeared in The New Savvy.

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