Anyone else also suffer from GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) particularly in the workplace?

19 Comments

1. Kristie WhiteSeptember 19,2022 at 7:23PM UTC

   I would speak with your therapist about methods to calm you. I know it’s difficult and you have to find the combination of help/meds/self-help techniques that work best for you.

2. AnonymousSeptember 19,2022 at 8:24PM UTC

   Yes. One thing I can share is that I grew up in a chaotic environment. As a result, I crave a lot of stability in my work environment. I don’t work well in chaotic-negative workplaces.

   Some of my journey has been to identify the environment where I thrive best.

3. AnonymousSeptember 19,2022 at 8:50PM UTC

   Really press your therapist to offer up practical tools so you can devise a plan to deal with your issues to help you get through your day.

   Talk therapy is fine but it doesn't help you actually overcome your obstacles in a practical way.

4. AnonymousSeptember 19,2022 at 9:19PM UTC

   Consider the holistic side of things and examine what steps you can take to help reduce your anxiety.

   1) diet: some foods can have a profound effect on anxiety, if you drink coffee or eat or take any stimulants, stop, stopping coffee and soda daily can make a huuuge difference. Magnesium gelcap, vitamin d3, blueberries. Vitamin B, protein deficiency. Research how these help with anxiety and incorporate

   2) exercise morning everyday. I read somewhere that the physiological parts of anxiety stem from having excess energy, so you need to expend it. Carve out an hr every morning before work to walk an hr at a brisk pace. If you have time post work also walk for another 30 min to help destress.
   walking forces you to engage in deep breathing similar to meditation.

   3) get out in nature daily ideal or weekly where you have access to direct sunlight. You need sunlight to process vitamin d in your body. Being in nature and being near the ocean emits a specific frequency that is in harmony with your brain waves. If you have an iPod, add nature, waterfall or ocean sounds and replay on a loop throughout your day or even at night to help keep your spirit calm

   4) meditate. If you have a prayer that resonates with you, or use rosaries or prayer beads, spend 30 min a day sitting cross legged to quiet the mind

   5) this should have been #1 get a journal and for the next 3-4 weeks write out every instance you have an anxiety attack. When you have time journal what led you to that point, including before and after. You want to track down is it a specific person, specific environment, during your period cycle, etc. you want to look for patterns and highlight them. If your therapist has not asked you to do this yet, I would be concerned. Also focus on your childhood to adulthood, did you go thru something traumatic that you think led to the anxiety you have now, i.e. abusive hostile parent, negative experience with someone you trusted. Hostile work environment, all of these things can contribute to children and adults suffering from anxiety. Be brave to unpack these moments so you can face them and move towards healing, you need to heal and this is the most important part,

   6) get another journal and the purpose of this is to come up with 50 positive affirmations about your self. Document positive traits about yourself and focus on traits that relate to the best version of you. Read these affirmations every morning and before you go to bed. This is a form of reprogramming your mind.

   try all of these things for 3 months and please report that to let us know if any of this helps.

5. Heather CutlerSeptember 19,2022 at 11:21PM UTC

   Some of the most thoughtful and actionable advice I’ve ever seen on this board!!

6. AnonymousSeptember 20,2022 at 12:08AM UTC

   Thanks Heather!

7. Shawanda ScottSeptember 19,2022 at 9:23PM UTC

   I play soothing music while in the office.

8. AnonymousSeptember 19,2022 at 10:03PM UTC

   I know exactly what environment & schedule works for me. I need a peaceful environment at home with candles, music in the background, large monitors. Ergonomic chair and lots od comfort. 1 day a week I want social interaction with my team, I want lively, productive discourse and an early drive home to avoid traffic.

   Knowing this, I have my flow setup to duplicate this most weeks. On the rare occasion is I have to deviate from my norm, I take extra care of myself because I know I'll be a bit off balance.

9. Heather CutlerSeptember 19,2022 at 11:30PM UTC

   I’ve also been diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder. I agree with the other poster who spoke about diet and exercise. I whole-heartedly agree on limiting caffeine intake or eliminating it from your diet entirely. This is like squirting kerosene at the fire!

   I would also add eliminating alcohol. I’ve struggled with drinking because I used it to calm my rampant anxiety. It was a quick fix to sooth the noise. I spiraled and have now been sober for almost five years.

   My final bit of advice is around mental health meds if you’re not already taking something to help with the anxiety. If one regimen isn’t giving you the desired results, aggressively advocate for yourself so your psychiatrist can try something else.

   This is the most important part of my entire post and taking meds to help with the anxiety: you get no awards for suffering through this! There is NO shame in trying different meds or going to your doc to say I still can’t function in the workplace.

   I’s truly sorry you’re experiencing this. I hear everything you’re saying and I know how awful GAD can be. Best of luck to you. Please keep us posted.

10. JJSeptember 20,2022 at 12:51AM UTC

    Yes. I take lots of breaks and remind myself to make decisions based on facts, not fears.

11. AnonymousSeptember 20,2022 at 12:51PM UTC

    Try to find a new job, the symptom is your body telling you that this is not a good fit.

12. AnonymousSeptember 20,2022 at 12:59PM UTC

    I did. I started a new job just yesterday actually

13. Cindy GloverSeptember 20,2022 at 1:01PM UTC

    I too suffer from PTSD, Panic and high anxiety - For me, personally, it takes the right medications, the right doctor and alot of learning about yourself - You got this and PLEASE don't hesitate to reach out if you want to talk more!!

14. Thuyvi DaoSeptember 20,2022 at 1:24PM UTC

    Find places and methods to wooosaahh yourself. Take brisk walks around the office and say hi to others or calmer ones out in nature early in the mornings before going in. Exercise can reduce anxiety significantly, naturally, and effectively. You may also finding snacking on something healthy calms you down too. You are the only one who can check your emotions and thoughts on this aspect.

    It sounds like you have automated negative thoughts which drives your anxiety into high gear. Maybe you fear letting people down or imposter syndrome even. Don't doubt yourself so much. Your employer hired you for a reason because you fit the job duties and are capable of responsibilities. We all have difficult days and we all make mistakes every now and then. Give yourself grace to accept that we're human. Or find a workplace which allows remote work perhaps?

15. DanielleSeptember 20,2022 at 1:40PM UTC

    Yep! All the time. My advice is to find coping mechanisms (ex: box breathing, listening to soothing music, meditation, etc.)

    Try to give yourself some grace. It sounds like you’re very hard on yourself. Do what you can at work, but go home and disconnect. Bravo to you for recognizing the issue and working through it! Good luck!

16. rachelSeptember 21,2022 at 2:16AM UTC

    BOX BREATHING! I love that other women know about this strategy in the workplace for stress and anxiety management. :)

17. DanielleSeptember 22,2022 at 3:09AM UTC

    I also listen to the Sound of Music soundtrack and breathe through the songs as well.

18. AnonymousSeptember 21,2022 at 1:00PM UTC

    Perfectionism has plagued me at work and I have done a lot of therapy work about being a human with flaws and still being precious.

    In a previous role, I turn off slack pings and only go in to read them at certain times. Same with email. My team had a “how I work” meeting where everyone gets to share how they work, and I shared that I check pings every few hours throughout the day, but I have the notifications off. I block off “focus time” on my calendar. When I used to be in the office, I wore headphones and asked that if I had my headphones on, email me instead or wait. But that if they were going to lunch, please interrupt me because I want to be with the group!

    I have to set my own boundaries and be very good about them, or I’ll be overwhelmed at what I think are other people’s expectations. The key here is communication about how to best work with you.

    I also used a Bell of Mindfulness app that has a soft bell every 45 minutes to remind me to breathe in and out a few times.

    I got into MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction), which is my main go-to.

    If there is any individual who increases your anxiety, work with your therapist on seeing if there’s a way you could see eye to eye with them.

    Having boundaries, and then feeling like I can push back on people was difficult, but important to do.

    The ideas from other posters here are also really good: caffeine, walking, journal, medication, etc.

19. AnonymousOctober 2,2022 at 10:10PM UTC

    I'm an organisational psychologist and Slack is my nemesis. Even people who do not suffer from anxiety experience anxiety when those messages pop up constantly; mistakes are made and people are frazzled. So far I've managed to persuade a number of concerned people to mute it periodically during the day, which is going well, but my next step is to get everyone to use it this way. Think about your organisation and the sorts of questions and requests that come your way on Slack. Do they often really need to be responded to instantly, or is it OK to respond within an hour? Try out some muted intervals and see what works. The thing is, if someone bangs out an urgent request on Slack and then doesn't get a response, they will generally pick up the phone, which is a far better thing to do anyway; it saves a lot of hassle just to talk things through. My organisation has been in the throes of Slack for about a year and by my analysis it's had no positive effect and may even have contributed to some largish errors, so if you take charge of it for yourself, it will push down your GAD while driving up some quality, even without people realising you're doing it.