This is commonly referred to as the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response, which is something our bodies do automatically, so we can’t control it.

However, when this response becomes disproportionate to the situation in question, or occurs without any apparent event at all, it can be problematic. Prolonged or excessive periods of anxiety can have a negative impact on our lives and our health, both physical and mental.

How anxiety feels like

Anxiety can be experienced through our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. When anxiety is a mental health problem it is typically accompanied by:

Heightened physical sensations. Anxiety can be felt as several physical sensations including a tight chest, increased heart rate, tense muscles, nausea, and shortness of breath.

Negative automatic thoughts. Automatic thoughts are the subconscious thoughts we have about ourselves and the world around us. Negative automatic thoughts are the most unpleasant of these and are often irrational and self-defeating in nature. 

Problematic coping behaviours. Problematic coping behaviours or “safety behaviours” are actions we carry out in order to protect ourselves from feeling anxious. They can be effective in the short-term but actually serve to maintain our anxiety in the long-term. They include things like avoidance, hyper vigilance, and excessive checking.

What are anxiety disorders?

Anxiety can be experienced in a lot of different ways and in response to a lot of different events. If these experiences meet certain criteria, they might be diagnosed as a specific anxiety disorder.

Mind provides a good overview of common anxiety disorders, such as:

• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) – regular or uncontrollable worries about many different things.
• Social anxiety disorder – extreme fear triggered by social situations. 
• Panic disorder – having frequent panic attacks without a clear cause or trigger.
• Phobias – extreme fear triggered by a particular situation or a particular object. 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – anxiety experienced after going through something traumatic.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – involves having repetitive thoughts, behaviours, or urges.
  

Anxiety at work

In 2020/21 anxiety, depression, and stress accounted for 50% of all work-related ill-health cases. Workplace anxiety refers to worries and fears about events and interactions that occur at work. For example, a worry about job performance, financial wellbeing, or social interactions at work.

There are a few practical steps that can be taken to support colleagues that experience anxiety:

Spot the signs & symptoms. No matter whether an employee’s anxiety is work-related or not, there are a few signs we can look out for:

Physical

• Sleep difficulties
• Muscle tension
• Racing heart
• Restlessness
• Sweating, hot flushes
• Nausea

Psychological

• Trouble thinking clearly
• Lack of concentration
• Forgetfulness
• Inability to make decisions
• Constant worry
• Low mood/depression

Behavioural

• Irritability
• Lack of patience
• Avoiding places/people
• Procrastination
• Talking more or less

Adopt an open-door policy. Make your employees feel like they can approach you any time with anything that is on their minds. This helps create a friendly, accepting, and welcoming culture.

Allow for flexibility. Make reasonable adjustments where necessary. This could be adjusting hours or allowing for home office work.

Ask them what support they need. Don’t just assume things, give the control back to the employee and explore with them how you can help.

Get trained. Management teams should be educated about mental health and how to respond appropriately.

Discover and manage the causes of stress. Reducing your employee’s workplace stressors will do a great deal in supporting their recovery from anxiety.