When Anxiety Becomes Intolerable in Business Life
When Anxiety Becomes Unbearable! Are you suffered due to Anxiety at every day in your life time? Maybe recent Big Turkey EarthQuake disasters have brought this situation to the top, or maybe you don’t have anxiety issues anytime, but you may know people you work for same company.
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What are the signals?
What are the signals that a person’s anxiety level has reached the point where it can’t be coped?
We know that anxiety can rise dramatically when it crosses boundaries and can rise far above levels of sadness and deprivation. Sadness is when intense stress disables your normal approach to dealing with things. In general, even if you can manage your anxiety by doing yoga, using humor, or a health-related perspective, you may think that you can’t do anything in these situations.
Deprivation is the infiltration of anxiety into the way you live life. For example, you can’t focus, fall behind schedules, can’t sleep, or you’re so busy that you don’t have time for your family.
Pay attention When Anxiety Becomes Unbearable!
What should you pay attention to in your manager, colleagues and subordinates?
Problematic anxiety is often internal and difficult to notice. But the signals include unmanageable fear and irritation, an inability to focus and concentrate, and physical exhaustion. In your chats or Zoom meetings, you may sometimes find that the other person is caught up in a tunnel syndrome, that is, they are constantly stuck on a certain topic or have difficulty accepting the views of others.
However, problematic anxiety causes more or less control than necessary. People who are prone to undue control may exhibit a completely passive state. They appear ambiguous, inadequate, and lacking in help in their actions. What are you doing yourself doing with these for God’s sake? then you can find it. They may flash in an instant, or they may give up altogether. Wherever the wind blows, they are blown.
OverControl is a Problem.
Overcontrol can manifest itself in micromanagement, rigidity, excessive hostility to possible threats, refusal to try or adapt to innovations, or believing that there is only one right way to do things. Some people, especially in situations of extreme anxiety, put themselves to work or a subject they can control. They dive into financial planning or try to inventory the preserves in the store as an Excel sheet.
Remember this: Overcontrol is only a problem when it creates sadness and deprivation in the people around them. If everyone’s mind is going to get away from the crisis, then it’s good to focus on work. However, if their only focus is on work and their health is adversely affected, then a healthy control line has been crossed. This applies to you as well.
When Anxiety Becomes! Everyone’s anxiety threshold is different.
Everyone’s anxiety threshold is different these days. How do we tell the difference between anxiety and bigger problems?
What matters is that one’s response to the threat is not disproportionate. Before Covid-19, wearing gloves and a mask while shopping at the supermarket was seen as excess. These days, things have changed a lot. Anxiety above normal is seen as acceptable and logical. But the rule of extremism still applies. For example, when your appendicitis bursts, not going to the emergency room or going to the supermarket with a gas mask and protective clothing is not a normal behavior.
Give everyone some time and space to understand and internalize the situation. If someone seems particularly anxious, remember that you don’t know the context they’re in. Perhaps her sister is a nurse at a pandemic hospital in New York City. Maybe his wife lost his job and he’s thinking about how to pay off the mortgage. Perhaps it is a situation that is unlikely to enter the high-risk group. So the anxiety may not be so disproportionate. Dr. Hendriksen.
When Anxiety Becomes! Help People When Anxiety Becomes!
What are the things not to say to a co-worker who is seen as anxious? What can be done to help this person?
Don’t suggest quick solutions. Avoid advice such as “Have you tried yoga?” or “I’ve heard that lavender oil is good for stress.” Although done in good faith, such advice may seem strange. The anxious person says, “So if I do this, will the job be done? What a fool I am!” he might drop. Worse, giving advice can create a perception of a master-apprentice rather than an equal relationship.
Also, dismissive advice such as “calm down,” “there’s nothing to fear,” or “your nickname” doesn’t work and falls short of providing support.
Many people hesitate to help co-workers they are not very close to. But regardless of the depth of your relationship, it’s a good idea to acknowledge the experience (“It’s perfectly normal for us to be anxious right now” or “Rest assured, it’s not in anyone’s mood these days”) or to express your own anxiety in a way that is appropriate for conversation at work (“It’s hard for me to be busy with everything” or “Worst of all, not knowing when and how this will turn out”).
Some concerns are “What if this happens…” is expressed as follows. “If I can’t go to work in quarantine…” or “What if my elderly relatives get sick…” Go beyond that and look for an answer: “It’s a scary thought. So what can you do?” Anxiety arises from uncertainty, and coming up with a plan involves some certainty and reduces anxiety.
Encouraging your co-workers to think about a plan (not as if to say advice, but “My brother got through a similar situation…” ) you can support them without feeding their fears.
If it is Panic attack?
What should you do if an employee or colleague is suffering from a panic attack?
Panic attacks make you feel terrible. It may sound silly, but repeat to yourself or your co-worker that it’s a panic attack. It’s easy to think that you’re dying, having a heart attack, or losing your mind. But remember, a panic attack ends eventually.
Then, if you or your colleague is taking a medication, it may be the right time to take it.
If you have a panic attack while you’re at home, fill a fountain or large pot with cold water, throw ice in it, and bury your face there. Hold your breath and try to hold out for 30 seconds. This triggers a condition known as the plunge reflex.
The plunge reflex is a survival instinct that stops many bodily functions, including extreme emotions, when you fall into cold water. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system and calms you down. Alternatively, you can take a cold shower, put a cold ice pack on your head, and try holding your breath for 30 seconds.
If you want to help a co-worker, don’t chat with them or say things that will exacerbate the situation. Stay as calm as possible, ask them to breathe deeply, and most importantly, let them breathe in slowly. Rapid breathing triggers hyperventilation and makes a panic attack worse.
Ask the person to inhale by counting to six and exhale by counting to ten. By doing so, you trigger a condition known as sinus arrhythmia in breathing. In this case, your heart beats more slowly as it exhales faster when you breathe in. If you exhale longer than you breathe, your heart will slow down over time and your other bodily functions will also relax.
What about Work Mates!
What if a person experiences a decline in performance due to ongoing concerns? What should managers and colleagues do?
Managers can’t and shouldn’t ask someone about their personal health status. But they can try to analyze specific tasks and behaviors. If the employee is missing deadlines or the project is seriously disrupted, a conversation can be made. Be sincere and open in the tone that speaks of a physical illness. Being overly timid makes it weird and backfires.
“I’d like to talk about some deadlines. I know that this crisis has been very difficult for everyone. You don’t have to deal with all of what happened alone. Shall we talk about how we can support you?” Or, “I also feel that things have been very stressful and uncertain lately. It’s not your style to keep things lagging behind, so I wanted to meet with you. You are an important and valuable person for this team, you can tell whatever you need.”
At such times, it is good to receive all the mental health benefits and support your company offers (such as professional support or behavioral programs). During the crisis, many therapists provide services through telehealth platforms. Although it won’t be easy to have private conversations with children and your spouse around, using your parked car for online therapy sessions or talking on the phone on empty streets can also be a solution.
When Anxiety Becomes Unbearable! People’s privacy?
What can happen when many of us are working from home? How can you keep the pulse of your employees in a virtual environment without getting too involved and respecting people’s privacy?
Given the situation, it’s okay to be more direct than usual. In remote work, you don’t get a chance to get some of the signals you get face-to-face.
Be transparent. Let everyone know that difficult times are over and that you are curious about the other person. Ask what they’re doing and see if they want help. If they say, “I’m fine,” don’t say “great” and don’t let that person go. Instead, respond flexibly and clearly: “If you feel bad, let me know” or “I’m so glad.
Shall we talk again at the beginning of the week?” The qualities that make us a good person, such as sincerity, flexibility, interest, etc., will also help us to be good managers in such times.