Dealing With Anxiety

Coping With Stress and Worry


Learn how to cope with anxiety successfully.

© iStockphoto/stuartbur

Imagine that you've been asked to give a presentation to your organization's board.

Although the meeting is a week away, you're already filled with a profound feeling of dread. All you can think about is how you'll make a mistake and ruin your career.

Because of your anxiety, you're having trouble sleeping, you feel nauseous, and you think you had a mild panic attack a couple of days ago. You're not sure how you're going to get through your presentation without crumbling.

The World Health Organization estimates that 15 percent of the world's population will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime.

If you suffer from occasional or severe anxiety, you'll know how hard it can be to work productively with this condition. In this article, we'll look at what anxiety is and we'll explore how you can cope with it.

Warning:
Anxiety is a serious medical condition. If left untreated, it can worsen over time and may even be life-threatening (in much the same way that stress is).

This article is intended to highlight the possible impact of small amounts of workplace anxiety, but should not be considered to be medical advice. If you're experiencing anything more than this, then you should seek the advice of a suitably qualified health professional.

What Is Anxiety?

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) defines anxiety as a “persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things.” While everyone experiences anxiety occasionally, it becomes a disorder when the problem occurs regularly and begins to interfere with your life, your work, and your relationships.

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References


Anxiety and Depression Association of America (2012) Facts & Statistics. [Online] Available here. [Accessed October 11, 2012.]

Mental Health Foundation (2012) Mental Health Statistics. [Online] Available here. [Accessed October 11, 2012.]

De Moor, M.H.M., Beem, A.L., Stubbe, J.H., Boomsma, D.I., De Geus, E.J.C. (2006) 'Regular Exercise, Anxiety, Depression and Personality: A Population-Based Study,' Preventive Medicine, Volume 42, Issue 4, April 2006. (Available here.)

Burton, D. (1988) 'Do Anxious Swimmers Swim Slower? Reexamining the Elusive Anxiety-Performance Relationship,' Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, Volume 10, Issue 1, March 1988. (Available here.)

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