Do you ever feel like you can’t leave your desk for fear of your co-workers whispering that you never do any work? You see your co-workers get up and down from their desks freely to go out for coffee, get snacks or even just chat in the kitchen but a voice inside your head tells you that if YOU did any of these things they would all think you aren’t working.

Do you ever fear to ask for personal time or annual leave or flexible working arrangements because you believe you will be denied and seen as somehow lacking in work ethic? You’ve never had this happen but still every time you want annual leave, every time you get sick, every time you need to work from home you are fearful that your boss will tell you no and then hold that you’ve asked against you in the future.

Have you ever put off asking your boss a big question for fear of disturbing them because you know they are very busy? Your friends keep telling you to ask for that overdue performance review or ask that question about your career path but YOU just feel like YOU will be bothering your boss so you put it off again and again.

When you’re in a meeting do you ever stay quite despite having ideas or suggestions you think will help solve the issues? You sit back and listen to all your coworkers speak up and voice their opinions and ideas but YOU stay quiet for fear of people not thinking your idea is good enough or just don’t know how to break through the louder or larger personalities or higher-ups in the meeting without seeming rude.

If you have ever thought any of these thoughts you are not alone. All of the above situations are ones I am constantly going through. These are all part of my ongoing battle with anxiety. I am constantly anxious about what others will think, that the worst possible thing will happen, that my mere existence is a bother to the people in my life or that if I used my voice people wouldn’t listen. My logical mind tells me that I am completely wrong and the thoughts I am having are just inside my head and not reality but they are my reality. This voice has been my constant companion, my friend (sometimes), my enemy (more often), my protector (constantly) but always there inside my head talking to me.

I’ve heard many names for this inner voice Mel Ambrosini calls it your inner mean girl/boy, most call it their inner critic, Clare Bowditch calls hers Frank (lol I love that). This voice is inside everyone’s head it’s just louder in some people’s minds than others. For someone suffering anxiety this voice is constantly questioning every decision every move every thought they have and it’s something the person constantly works to overcome and continue to live a happy fruitful life. Some people aren’t able to overcome the voice and suffer, often in silence, through their whole life with this constant struggle with themselves and their own thoughts.

Despite anxiety and mental health being spoken about more and more sufferers of anxiety will find it hard to speak up about their suffering especially in the workplace. We are taught as a part of society that at work we are just meant to go to work, do our job and keep our personal issues at home. Unfortunately, anxiety doesn’t care where you are and will stay with you at home, at work, out with friends or when you’re trying to sleep.

Some things that employers or those managing people could do to help:

• Have a support system in your company, there are great companies that are happy to offer companies mental health support for companies employees. Even with a professional system or policy in place make sure to also have an internal support system where people are encouraged to bond and build personal relationships so that if they aren’t ready to speak to a professional they know they have support and friends in the office already they can speak to.
• Make sure your managers are leaders and by this I mean they do as they say so they are not spouting talk about flexible working arrangements but they themselves are constantly tied to their work and never appear to take a break. Understandably the higher ups in organisations will be busy but they should also remember that they are illustrating what they expect from their staff so when they are sending work emails at all hours of the night and on the weekend their staff will often feel this is also expected of them.
• Make sure the leaders of a business always have support so that they can then support their staff. All business will go through periods where a lot is put upon and expected of the leaders of the business but these shouldn’t be the standard. It shouldn’t be a badge of honour to have a calendar so full even the queen couldn’t get an appointment or an instant message system so overloaded with unread messages that the term ‘instant’ becomes an all-out lie
• Make sure all participants of a meeting have an opportunity to participate as they feel comfortable. Now, this is different for different people some may feel ok about speaking up in the meeting setting whereas others may prefer to add to notes after the meeting or even put their ideas into notes that can be used as possible discussion points later. Try sending a document around before or after to ask for all participants input to make sure everyone’s ideas are heard.
• Make sure all leaders/managers are held accountable to celebrate milestones big and small of the people on their teams career. Make sure all those that manage people have marked in their calendar when their teams work anniversary is on their calendar, better yet make sure all those in the staff members line of reporting has it on their calendar so if their direct manager forgets or is away it doesn’t get forgotten. This will also make sure all reviews are also done in a timely manner.
• Make sure any and all role changes, new hires and departures are communicated company-wide.  This helps staff know they are valued and their new role is something to celebrate but also helps to make sure that there is transparency in staffing. There are times when people don’t leave a company in the best of terms and this isn’t something a company would want to highlight but not announcing that persons departure just leaves room for rumour and innuendo which doesn’t create a mentally healthy workplace.

Personally, as someone who suffers anxiety here are a few things that I do to help me ease my anxious feelings at the office:

• First and foremost I listen to the thoughts my mind is filling with but then recognise what they are and try (not always successfully) not to let them affect my actions
• I listen to my favourite podcast, music or YouTube videos whilst working to give my mind a distraction from my own thoughts and allow me to get work done.
• Go outside and have a walk or just get up and go for a walk around the office. I know this can sometimes be hard especially if (like me) you have those thoughts that you can’t move from your desk or else people will think you’re not doing your job but it always helps.
• Chat/vent to a friend whether they are a work colleague or a fiend outside of work a good vent always helps get all those thoughts out in the open and often helps them to dissipate
• If it all gets too much make sure to look after yourself first and take a day off to rest, your health is more important than any job. You are more important than any job. If you need to speak to a professional don’t be afraid to do it and take care of yourself.

There are many ways workplaces can help those suffering from anxiety and the above are just a few I feel would be helpful. Overall it’s about creating a safe space for people to be able to be themselves without judgment or repercussions. I would love to hear some things that help you personally to ease your anxiety at the office.

Want more help with managing your mood? Check out my 7 tips for switching your mood.