FEELING STRESSED AND ANXIOUS at work isn’t unusual. According to Princeton Survey Research Associates, 75 percent of employees believe the average worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago.

“Everyone feels pressured from time to time, but when these symptoms become chronic, serious problems can develop,” says Lea Ann Browning-McNee, executive vice president of public policy for the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, Va. “The harmful effects of stress begin when you become overwhelmed or chronically anxious.”

Unmanaged stress can impair mental and physical health and, if left untreated, can become debilitating.

“Often, people think that high levels of ongoing stress are inevitable and something they must endure,” says Browning-McNee. “Or they get used to it, and they begin to consider chronic stress as normal, which it isn’t.”

Get Assessed
Because it’s difficult for most people to assess their symptoms, consider getting a “reality check” from a mental health professional if you’re struggling with significant stress or anxiety.

Therapy can provide a safe, confidential place in which to work through your feelings and concerns and develop effective stress management skills that can help better ensure both your physical and emotional well-being.

A therapist also can determine if you’re suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which can be effectively treated with medication and talk therapy.

If you suffer some of the following symptoms of GAD for more than a few weeks, you should call your doctor or make an appointment with a therapist:

• You have chronic anxious feelings, and they’re clearly out of proportion to the difficulties of your everyday life.
• You believe you no longer can control your anxious feelings, and this makes you feel helpless or frightened.
• Your constant anxiety is interfering with your personal relationships or with your ability to function normally.
• You’re having difficulty concentrating or remembering.
• You’re having trouble sleeping.
• You have unexplained physical symptoms that may be anxiety-related, such as chronic low energy and fatigue, frequent headaches and stomachaches, skin rashes and difficulty sleeping.
• You’re often irritable, keyed up or edgy.

Other Steps to Take
The following suggestions can help you reduce work-related stress.

• FOCUS ON CRUCIAL TASKS. If you can eliminate unnecessary tasks, do so. When you’re feeling anxious at work, ask yourself, “What really needs to be done? How much can I do? Is the deadline realistic? What adjustments can I make?”
• TAKE A TIME-OUT. When you start to feel anxious, set aside 10 to 20 minutes to meditate, listen to music, take a relaxed walk around the office or outside, have a cup of tea or just stretch at your desk.
• ACTIVATE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. Laughter can balance and offset negative changes in the body chemistry brought on by stress. Good humor also can put stressful events in a proper, less threatening perspective.
• TAKE THINGS ONE AT A TIME. When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, even your usual workload can seem overwhelming. When this happens, pick the most urgent task you need to do and work on it. When you accomplish that, choose the next one, and so on.
• SPEND TIME WITH SUPPORTIVE COLLEAGUES. Sometimes talking with a supportive co-worker can give you a real boost.

“Talking with a workplace friend can help you remember you’re not alone in having problems at work,” says Browning-McNee. “It also reminds you that you’re not the only one who has bad days (or weeks) from time to time.”

Barbara Floria spoke with Lea Ann Browning-McNee, executive vice president of public policy for the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, Va. For more information, visit www.nmha.org or call 703-684-7722.

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