Experiencing anxiety in your daily work routine is a telling sign that something’s amiss in your professional life. It might mean that you were undertrained, you don’t receive due guidance, or your company does not provide enough positive support. More often than not, however, the reason is far simpler: you put undue pressure on yourself to meet unrealistic standards. You have a warped view of excellence, and this triggers your anxiety big time.
The good news is that there are sure ways to overcome performance anxiety and achieve the right balance of productivity and peace. From finding meditative routines like prayer for money to contextualizing your fears, there’s surely something out there that will help you get your work anxiety under control.
Take Hold of Negative Thoughts
Believe it or not, you’re capable of monitoring your thoughts and stopping every negative one from spreading like wildfire. It’s a straightforward process: you identify your triggers, stop them as they come, and replace them with something that alleviates instead of intensifies your anxiety. That said, it’s a solution that requires practice and patience to turn into a habit. You’ll want to list the specific words and imagery that trigger your nervousness and the actions you can take to cancel them.
If the negativity is set off by social media, put your phone down right away. Preoccupy yourself during break times by doing something more productive. It can be as simple as saying a prayer for money, which brings you to a higher mental plane that leads to abundance. You can also read books, listen to podcasts, and engage in conversation with people who put you in a better mood. Do whatever works for you and brings you into a healthier mental state.
Put Things Into Perspective
Anxiety makes things seem worse than they are. A simple problem or uncertainty might balloon into a full-blown insecurity that prevents you from either being happy or satisfied with your work. The easiest way to recover from this is to put things into perspective. Are you intimidated by the people you’ll be presenting to? Remember that they, too, didn’t start out as experts. Not all of them may be as articulate and enigmatic as you imagine, and they don’t expect you to meet those standards if they’re not central to your career.
When you’re having trouble contextualizing your situation, start writing. Invest in a gratitude journal to remind yourself of how far you’ve come, and include a list of your fortes and the small accomplishments you make daily.
Create a Coping Strategy
Different people have different ways they cope with stress. It may take a while to discover what works for you, but once you find them, you’ll notice a huge difference. This could be a song that motivates you to work harder or sets your creative juices flowing. It may also be repeating a mantra, performing an exercise that puts you in the right mind frame, or doing breathing techniques that reduce the butterflies in your stomach. Don’t worry if it looks or sounds silly to others. After all, if it works, it works.
Develop Your Confidence
Your goal should be to reach a point where the usual tasks you do at work no longer make you nauseous. Build your confidence and watch as it improves your performance as well as your work relationships. Who knows? This might be the way you finally bag that promotion you’ve always wanted.
