Written by: Sara Hegy, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
She couldn't breathe. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She had the feeling she was going to pass out and vomit at the same time. She was sweating and shaking.
Am I dying? Am I losing control? What on earth is happening to me? she thought
This is how it feels to experience an anxiety attack. It's not at all pleasant, I get that and I know you do too if you've been experiencing similar attacks!An anxiety or panic attack can be debilitating. And it can last for hours. Its effects can be felt for days, weeks, or months, and it can be a silent killer. The sad part is that an attack is normally completely avoidable if you're equipped with the right knowledge and tools.Of course, if you experience this, you should seek professional help. Never try to deal with it on your own. However, I want to show you that having anxiety attacks can be a game-changer in your life. Read on and I'll explain why.If you find this a valuable resource, I encourage you to share it with people in your network and let's break the stigma around anxiety at the workplace.
The interesting biology of stress
First, Let's take a step back and examine the nature of stress and in evolutionary terms, how our bodies adapt to it.The autonomic nervous system is part of our nervous system that controls involuntary body processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and respiration. It is a division of the nervous system that supplies our internal organs, smooth muscle, and glands.The autonomic nervous system has two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system which modulate our stress responses. When we encounter a potentially dangerous situation, our nervous system kicks into gear, releases a surge of adrenaline and other hormones, and reacts in all sorts of ways according to the threat we are dealing with whether it is increased/decreased heart rate and blood pressure, pupil dilatation, increased salivation, sweating, dizziness, or a perceived freeze of time.Below are the well-distinguished ways in which our nervous system reacts: fight, flight, freeze, or fright.The "fight or flight" response is the best known of these, and it occurs when we perceive an immediate threat. Our heart rate and blood pressure increase, our pupils dilate, and our muscles tense in preparation for either fighting the threat or running away from it.
The "freeze" response happens when we are overwhelmed by fear and paralyzed by indecision. The "freeze" response is characterized by immobility in the face of danger. This response is often seen in animals that are caught in the headlights of a car or in humans who are paralyzed by fear. This response allows us to remain unnoticed by a "predator," but it can also be disastrous if it prevents us from taking action in a dangerous situation.The "fright" response is a brief burst of energy that allows us to flee from danger. This response is often followed by a period of exhaustion as our bodies burn through all of the available adrenaline. Each of these responses is an adaptation that has evolved to help us survive in potentially dangerous situations.
Stress at the workplace
In the day-to-day business world, all of these responses can be seen daily.
Fight response can be seen when someone is confronted with a difficult task or a challengingsituation. They may not feel confident at first, but they'll summon up their courage and tackle the problem head-on. This response is usually admirable and respected by others.Freight response can be seen when someone is faced with a situation that they're not comfortable with. They may try to avoid it, not deal with it or hide from it.A freeze response can be seen when someone is faced with something that they're completely unprepared for. They may not know how to react or what to do, so they just stay frozen in place.Flight response can be seen when someone is faced with something they're not interested in or they don't think they can handle. They may take off and escape the situation entirely.Now let's go to a brief situation in Janie's and Steve's work environment and see how fight, flight, freeze, or fright manifests in their day-to-day work.
But first, who are Janie and Steve?
Janie is a hardworking first-line manager with less than 2 years of managerial position in a Pharma Company. She's such a highly committed young talented woman who is so obsessed with deadlines that sometimes she is insomniac before important presentations. Typically, she eats her lunch in front of her laptop every day to make sure she's always following her tasks. Her colleagues call her a drama queen behind her back.Steve is a CFO with 15 years of experience in the Tech industry, and he had many achievements but he doesn't feel in his skin with the corporate politics and environment. He usually avoids speaking unless necessary. He tried to get a raise several times but he says the CEO is too stubborn. His colleagues call him a wild peacock behind his back.
Janie says: As I rushed nervously into my office, awaiting my upcoming meeting, I thought, "This meeting is going to be a disaster." - I heard loud thoughts in my head. It's not at all what I expected to present, and I don't know how to think any better about it.All of my worst fears were confirmed when my boss sneered, "You're naively thinking about this"... I froze, I couldn't breathe for a few moments there, and then I came back to the situation seconds later asking "how so?"As the other members of the team chimed in with their criticism, I felt like a useless fraud. The meeting dragged on and on until finally, it was over. As I left the room, all I could think about was how badly I had screwed up. I blamed myself for how I prepared. It was all my fault, after all. Things would have turned out better if I had been more focused and less messy.I tossed and turned all night long, worrying about what everyone must think of me and that I'm not fit for this job; maybe I should just quit tomorrow. By morning, I had convinced myself that I was destined for a reprimanding follow-up meeting with my boss about my performance. But as the follow-up meeting went on, I didn't hear a word from my boss about poor performance, so I began to relax a bit. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought.As evening rolled around, I finally allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief. It appeared as though I had dodged a bullet in my career this time, but next time I should do better and work harder to avoid criticism."Let's turn to Steve,
Steve says: "I was all pumped up for my meeting. I put a lot of effort into preparing, and I was sure that we were going to have a great discussion. But as soon as it started, nobody said anything about my work. They just sat there silently, and at the end, they gave me mediocre feedback. I started to worry that I hadn't done a good job. What did they think about it? I mean Ram's presentation had a lot of discussions. Why didn't mine go like that? I know they all judge me and they gossip behind my back. They're super jealous!By the end of the day, I was in a terrible mood. I went home feeling down about the whole thing. I couldn't get to sleep that night because all I could think about was how badly the meeting had gone. What's wrong with those people? I deserve better than this! I am starting to hate this workplace, I have had enough of those people! But I can't lose my job. I have to keep going. My kids are too young and we are in the middle of an economic recession."Now, notice Janie'sand Steve's experiences at work. Both had distinct experiences, yet, they ended up in the same loop of worry, fear, and anxiety. "Their brains" are telling them that things are not working the way they're supposed to, so they have to prepare to fight much harder to stay alive and claim their territory at work in whatever way that shows up for them, and the recurrence of these experiences or similar ones at work is one of the most fundamental reasons why employees develop anxiety in their work environments.
Facts and statistics about stress
Here it's really important to get that:a) Stress helps to sharpen our focus and improve our performance in times of crisis and helps us to better cope with difficult situations, which causes our brains to develop resilience.b) Another positive role of stress is that the brain has evolved to handle stress to ensure our survival. After all, when things are not going well, it's important to be able to quickly assess the situation and decide whether to fight or flight. And while constantly being in a state of fear is certainly not ideal, it's better than the alternative (i.e., not being able to react at all when danger is present).c) Whilst our brains are hardwired for survival and responding to stress which has helped our species to survive for millennia, too much stress is indeed harmful and has a big toll on our well-being and detrimentally hinders our quality of life.d) Chronic stress response is less effective than acute stress response because it is constantly active, which leads to wear and tear on the body and sometimes it even manifests itself as physical pain. One of the common ways that the nervous system adapts to chronic stress is by becoming more sensitive to fear. This increased sensitivity can lead to anxiety and other mental health challenges.e) One example of chronic stress, as 32 percent of the respondents surveyed said is represented by your constant exposure to everyday stressors such as communication issues with your boss or colleagues you don't get along with that trigger your brain to perceive them and the environment as dangerous.72 percent of people who have daily stress and anxiety say it interferes with their lives at least moderately. 40 percent experience persistent stress or excessive anxiety in their daily lives.So, you might feel like you're living in a state of constant fear, “but is this an illness?”The answer is: It ISN'T!! While anxiety is stigmatized and classified as a disease, anxiety is a natural emotion that everyone experiences at some point in their lives and it is more common than you think ‒ 1 in 5 people experience anxiety at some point in their lives.The best way to deal with anxiety is NOT to understand it and learn how to cope with it!
Absolutely not! The best way to deal with anxiety is to get empowering help and support that will ground you to discover that the fear your body is perceiving is NOT EVEN REAL! It isn't!! It's made up!! That's not to say that there's something wrong with us for perceiving the threat.
No, it's simply that our brain is creating this perception based on our heightened stress responses and we need to get to the source of these reactions and learn how to generate an active confident, positive psychological state to deal with those triggers.Janie's boss said what he said and it doesn't mean that she's a failure or that her career is in danger, and there was no need for her to stay sleepless in bed had she gotten that she is relating to fear that is made up by her nervous system to react to the fear of not being good enough for her position!Steve's colleagues were probably having a bad day and it doesn't mean that they are jealous of him and there was no need for him to be resentful had he gotten that he is relating to a fear that is made up by his nervous system to react to the lack of proper reward by his boss!And that is why it's critical today more than ever that employers ground the working environment with leadership and development coaching techniques that will develop employees' awareness and skills in dealing with their own worries, self-doubt, and fear so they can continue performing at peak efficiency in the workplace!
"Globally, an estimated 12 billion working days are lost every year to depression and anxiety for US$ 1 trillion per year in lost productivity ‒ WHO"
Perks of anxiety-free communication environments
The most obvious perk of creating an anxiety-free communication environment for leaders and decision-makers is employees working more productively and efficiently while boosting their satisfaction. When leaders can distinguish if they are performing out of fear or freedom, they will be able to shift their mindset toward freedom-based performance. Developing open, safe communication at the workplace will increase employees' confidence to share their experience and make requests confidently that support their needs to grow and develop, which will result in better leadership development of talents, better relationships with colleagues, and improve the overall well-being of the business's teams and their performance.
Want some more help with your work environment?
Get startedby discovering our free performance guide on taking active, freedom-based decisions. The guide is available on our website here. This article talks about mindset, performance, work environment, leadership self-development, and mental health awareness. This article was written by a pharmacist by education, a scientist by training, and a coach by development.
Medical Disclaimer: The contents of this article, such as text, graphics, images, and other material are intended for informational and educational purposes and not to render medical or mental health advice. The contents of this article are educational and not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment. Please consult your medical professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, or medical regimen. lifestyle, and or mental health care.
Sara Hegy, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sara Hegy is an award-winning scientist and a leadership coach who is dedicated to helping other leaders achieve their full potential while being fulfilled. She grew up in an environment where producing results is a measure of self-worth. Hence, she always struggled to apply self-development teachings until coaching helped her gain clarity on her struggles and gave her tools to overcome them. Through harnessing the power of her mind and taking effective action, she graduated with honors, won a scientific prize, and her findings raised a$2.7 million research grant. She's the founder of her coaching business that globally serves. Her mission: Passionate leaders who create massively and live a life that they love.
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