Anxiety is something we all face in our lives from time to time. Often it is work related. We feel anxiety about how our performance will be judged or anxiety about who we have to work with or work under.
The good news is that you don’t have to simply suffer from anxiety. There is something you can do about it. Here are a few tips from psychologists.
1. Remember that the anxiety is self generated.
Yes, your anxiety is related to an external event or situation, but what actually creates it is your reaction to it, your belief about it and its effects. In other words, you are the immediate cause of it, so, as a result, you can do something about it.
There are two kinds of events that cause anxiety, according to psychologists, One is a called ego anxiety. This is what people experience when they are worried about failing at something or being criticized or judged about something. Test taking anxiety is a prime example of this.
The second type of anxiety is called discomfort anxiety. This describes the anxiety you feel when you are in an uncomfortable or emotionally painful circumstance, having a fight with a loved one, for example.
So, the first step in dealing with anxiety is thinking about what event or circumstance led to it, and what kind of anxiety it is.
2. Identify your beliefs
This is the second step. What beliefs do you have about the event that are causing your anxiety. Do you believe that you will be a failure if you fail at some evaluation, or that you will be looked down upon? Do you believe that you simply cannot bear the discomfort of an anxiety producing situation?
3. Evaluate your beliefs.
Just because someone holds a particular belief does not mean that the belief it true. The same goes for your beliefs about an anxiety producing event – are they true? Do they hold up under scrutiny according to rules of logic and evidence? If you do this, you will see that they are almost always not true.
For example, your belief about failure – it seldom is a life-or-death situation, it will happen – often – and life will go on as it always has. It will not lead to the catastrophic results you imagine. It does not mean you are a failure, only that you have failed in this particular instance.
4. Change your thinking
Once you have seen the irrationality of your beliefs, work to adopt more reasonable ones. For example, experiencing a failure at something will not be the end of the world or ruin your life. It will happen. Or being in an uncomfortable situation is also just a part of life. It is often temporary, and you cannot let it affect how you live your life.
If you are looking to avoid the anxiety of finding a job, Opti Staffing can help you. We have the expertise and experience to match you with a job that fits your skills and knowledge. Give us a call today.