Is there a sense of dread on waking each workday morning? Are there butterflies in your stomach and a feeling of panic when walking into the office?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it could be workplace anxiety.

Statistics released by the UK government’s Health and Safety Executive reveal that in 2017-2018, some 595,000 workers had work-related stress, depression or anxiety and that 15.4 million working days were lost as a result.

A recent survey of 2,000 professionals by the Korn Ferry Institute found that nearly two-thirds of respondents felt their stress levels were higher than they were five years ago.

More than three-quarters said stress was having a negative impact on personal relationships and 66% reported losing sleep as a result of stress.

Workplace anxiety is on the rise

Research indicates that a significant number of people experience workplace stress, which is not good for employees or the business.

It is detrimental to productivity, work quality, work and personal relationships, well-being and ultimately business success. Employers should be doing more to tackle this issue and support employees.

There are many factors involved in anxiety and the exact causes can be difficult to determine.

Anxiety can build slowly and manifest long after the real cause. Childhood experiences, someone’s current situation (including stress at work), mental health problems and medication can all have an impact on anxiety levels.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a person’s response to stress and is typically characterised by a feeling of dread.

In small doses stress and anxiety are a normal part of neurological functioning. They can help people to handle difficult situations more effectively and perform better.

But when these feelings become persistent or overwhelming, anxiety becomes detrimental. According to the UK’s Mental Health Foundation, the signs and symptoms of anxiety can include:

• Restlessness
• Feelings of dread
• Feeling “on edge”
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Heart palpitations
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Dry mouth

In addition, anxiety can cause fatigue and muscle tension. Constant worrying is another sign.

So, when does anxiety become a problem? When symptoms start to impact one’s happiness and the ability to deal with daily life, then it could be a sign of something more serious.

Symptoms can reach a crescendo and cause a panic attack. This commonly includes a racing heart, tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers, shortness of breath, chest pains, feeling faint and feelings of terror, all of which combine to mimic the common signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

While anxiety in certain circumstances is a natural human response, continued stress can keep individuals in a permanent “fight or flight” state, leading to health problems such as anxiety attacks and depression, as well as increasing susceptibility to a variety of chronic illnesses such as digestive disorders and heart problems.

The causes of workplace anxiety

The Korn Ferry study found that bosses are the largest source of workplace stress. A heavy workload, job insecurity, lack of direction, lack of fairness and long hours can also take their toll on the hardiest of employees.

• The boss: Toxic bosses range from the mildly incompetent to those with controlling and bullying tendencies. The extreme kind of toxic boss (narcissistic) creates an environment of fear. Prolonged exposure can have a profound effect on anxiety levels and well-being. But even a slightly dysfunctional boss can unknowingly contribute to anxiety levels.

• Micromanagement: Poor communication, a lack of direction or never being there to help may not constitute extreme bullying behaviour, but they can still have a negative impact and contribute to feelings of anxiety. Ultimately, toxic bosses only exist in poor business cultures. If one is working in a toxic work environment, then it is likely the job is contributing to anxiety, even if it is not the sole cause.

• Long working hours: Evidence suggests that long working hours contribute to exhaustion, stress and anxiety. This is not surprising since long working hours are likely to mean less time to relax and often result in getting less sleep. The end of the nine-to-five era, thanks to the digital age and the culture of always being switched on, is playing havoc with working hours. Many in the gig economy compensate for low wages with extra hours.

• A lack of autonomy: If your boss is looking over your shoulder every five minutes, it sends a message that he doesn’t trust you and this erodes your confidence. At best, a lack of autonomy can make one feel frustrated and resentful but, over longer periods, a persistent lack of autonomy can add to feelings of anxiety. Research shows that when employees are given more freedom and autonomy, job satisfaction and employee happiness improve.

• Heavy workload: Small business website Bizfluent reports that a heavy workload is one of the primary causes of stress in the workplace. While outside factors, such as financial insecurity, may force people to take on a heavy workload, it is still the expectation in many businesses that employees take on more work than they really have time for.

Summary

Workplace anxiety is real, it is growing and employers need to do more to address the problem.

For those who feel anxious at work and do not trust their boss enough to talk openly about it, chances are the job is one of the causes of the anxiety in the first place.

Recognising the signs of workplace anxiety is the first step to making improvements. This may include a frank discussion with your boss about working hours and workload.

Other steps can be taken to reduce job stress, such as taking regular breaks, eating well and getting enough rest.

The more you do to support good health, the easier it becomes to deal with stressful situations at work.

Ultimately, if you are working in a toxic work environment, or have a narcissistic or bullying boss, it could be time to find a new job in a business that values its employees.

Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg and host of The DRH Show. You can connect with him on Twitter @drelojo_howell