How do you cope with anxiety within the working environment?

[mmartinad]

I am a student in my 4th year of Interior Design. I am conducting a study for my thesis project on Generalized Anxiety Disorder and how it has affected people that work 35- 40+ hours a week. I am interested in hearing about the way you cope with your disorder and what strategies that have been successful in keeping the disorder from relapsing. All those who participate will be keep anonymous in the study; no names or personal information will be disclosed. I also suffer from anxiety dealing with school health and other responsibilities. I am interested in knowing how others deal with their anxiety.

I am hoping that people can answer my questions to help me out with my project, i appreciate any information that you can give me!

Thank you in advance!

Questions:

Age:

Gender:

1. How many hours work per week:

2. When were you diagnosed with your anxiety Disorder?

3. What approach to dealing with GAD do you prefer? Pharmaceuticals or naturopathic remedies?

4. What strategies have you used to help successfully cope with your anxiety disorder?

5. What could be included with the working environment to target those suffered from stress and anxiety disorders?

[RunnerChick]

Hey! I'd be glad to help, this is an interesting topic.


Questions:

1. Age: 23

2. Gender: Female

3. How many hours work per week: 40-70 depending on season (I've got a part time gig in the winter)

4. What type of working environment are you involved in? Office during the week, outdoors during the weekends

5. When did you notice that you were developing an anxiety disorder? I've had anxiety since high school but I don't think it became a constant struggle enough to be called a disorder until the last year of uni. So about 3 years ago.

6. When were you diagnosed with your anxiety Disorder? I have not been formally/medically diagnosed.

7. What approach to dealing with GAD do you prefer? Pharmaceuticals or naturopathic remedies? Naturopathic I would say at the moment, as I haven't tried any medications yet but I am definitely interested in trying medications as well to see how I would react to them.

8. What strategies have you used to help successfully cope with your anxiety disorder? Distracting myself with things that require a lot of focus, working out, working obsessively, etc. I basically channel my obsessiveness into some sort of positive activity like exercising or working on projects for work, etc.

9. How are you able to balance both work and responsibilities outside of work? Sometimes it's a struggle and I tend to get forgetful about certain things when I'm so engrossed in my latest anxiety fit.

10. Does your work environment decrease stress levels or increase stress levels? Increase.

11. Do you think that the design of the workplace is important to whether your stress levels increase or decrease? Sure, if it's a cluttered space and you've got to focus but you've got loud noises or annoying coworkers or anything like that, it makes you more high-strung and easier to get into a fit of anxiety. Having enough room and privacy but still maintaining a team environment if that's needed can definitely help. Also, if a worker has a potential to have windows and get natural daylight, i find that helps as well.

12. What could be included with the working environment to target those suffered from stress and anxiety disorders?I honestly think just compassion from coworkers in the sense that they don't pester you about it or tell you to "calm down". It's not like I can just stop being anxious. Perhaps, again, giving the person enough space so they don't constantly feel like they are stuck in the middle of coworker conversations/lunch smells/phones ringing/etc that gives them room to focus on their work more calmly.

[jessed03]

I can't sleep so I may as well do this for you. :)


Questions:

1. Age:

24

2. Gender:

Male

3. How many hours work per week:

Average of 35+

4. What type of working environment are you involved in?

Sales

5. When did you notice that you were developing an anxiety disorder?

When my nerves felt shredded, and small things like doors slamming or someone calling out to somebody else, made me jump out of my skin.

6. When were you diagnosed with your anxiety Disorder?

5 years ago, 'officially'.

7. What approach to dealing with GAD do you prefer? Pharmaceuticals or naturopathic remedies?

Pharmaceuticals are way more effective than any natural remedy I've ever tried, so I'll go with them. Natural methods are better for mild, manageable cases, which sadly mine wasn't!

8. What strategies have you used to help successfully cope with your anxiety disorder?

Cognitive therapy, meditation, and working through negative repeated patterns. Also; exposure.

9. How are you able to balance both work and responsibilities outside of work?

Directly correlated to anxiety. As it's lowered my ability to manage life has increased greatly. My coping strategy was just to go slowly and take small steps.

10. Does your work environment decrease stress levels or increase stress levels?

Increases it.

11. Do you think that the design of the workplace is important to whether your stress levels increase or decrease?

Yes, it's important for it to appear calming and comfortable, and to use space effectively so that you feel you have 'breathing room'/ and designed to make it feel like you have escape options.

12. What could be included with the working environment to target those suffered from stress and anxiety disorders?

Flexibility. Some days you can fulfill your duties, others you can't. Sometimes it may help working elsewhere, like at home. Some days are just write offs emotionally. It's incredibly hard, and very stressful when you are forced to make those days productive, and feel you can't escape them. It would be very comforting to know you can go at your own pace sometimes.

[mmartinad]

Thank you so much for replaying to my messages!! All your answers are great! Hope to get more to have a strong study for my thesis project