What is workplace performance anxiety?
Workplace performance anxiety is an emotional and physiological reaction that arises from an individual's thoughts about their abilities, worthiness, and value in the workplace. It goes beyond just feeling nervous before a presentation or a big meeting.
Performance anxiety can indeed present itself in many forms. An employee might find themselves feeling unusually fatigued or prone to aches and pains. Perhaps there is an increase in the frequency of illnesses, or the employee is becoming more irritable and easily frustrated. Brain fog can be a telltale sign of work-related anxiety. This situation can undeniably have a negative impact on work output, resulting in a reduced attention span.
How performance anxiety affects work
Performance anxiety can significantly influence your productivity and overall health. It's often the hidden reason behind issues like trouble focusing, chronic stress, physical health problems, and even mental health disorders.
This isn't a solitary issue.
It reduces your focus, makes you more prone to irritability, and seems like an enormous barrier to being your best self professionally. Stress, which often goes hand-in-hand with anxiety, can heighten the risk of anxiety and depression. This can then trickle into your personal life, further impacting your professional performance. Anxiety can also lead to unhelpful behaviours at work, such as avoidance, which further chips away at productivity. It's been argued before that happier and healthier employees put in more effort, perform better and are more productive.
Mental Health UK highlights that over 8 million people grapple with anxiety disorders, triggering over 70 million stress-induced sick days yearly. This anxiety can hamper job performance, affecting the larger business structure. Reduced productivity equates to diminished output and compromised work quality, potentially leading to less content customers.
In short, performance anxiety is not just a personal issue - it's a business one too.
Spotting the signs work-related anxiety in employees
Sign 1: Excessive worry or fear
One of the primary signs of performance anxiety is excessive worry or fear about work tasks. This can manifest as an employee constantly doubting their ability to perform a task, even one they are well-equipped to handle.
Sign 2: Restlessness
Restlessness or being on edge is another common sign of work-related anxiety. Employees might seem unable to relax, always fidgeting, or constantly moving around.
Sign 3: Fatigue
Performance anxiety can often lead to fatigue. The constant state of worry and stress can be physically and mentally draining, making employees feel tired most of the time.
Sign 4: Irritability
Increased irritability can be a sign of work-related anxiety. When employees are feeling anxious about their performance, they may be short-tempered or easily annoyed.
Sign 5: Muscle tension
Muscle tension or unexplained aches and pains can also be a sign of performance anxiety. Constant stress and worry can lead to physical symptoms like muscle tension.
Sign 6: Sleep disturbances
Performance anxiety can often lead to sleep disturbances. Employees might have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or they may experience restless, unsatisfying sleep.
Sign 7: Avoidance behaviour
Avoidance behaviour, such as procrastination, can also be a sign of work-related anxiety. Employees may avoid tasks that they feel anxious about.
How you can reduce employee workplace performance anxiety
Method 1: Encourage open communication
A powerful method to alleviate performance anxiety in the workplace involves fostering a culture that promotes candid communication. It's essential for team leaders to be approachable and open to feedback, ensuring that team members can voice their worries or anxieties without fearing any backlash. Regular individual meetings, for instance, can serve as a secure forum for employees to share any challenges they're grappling with and work together on possible solutions.
Method 2: Provide clear expectations and feedback
Uncertainty can greatly contribute to performance anxiety. By providing clear expectations for tasks and projects, as well as constructive feedback on performance, managers can help alleviate this uncertainty. A hypothetical example could be a Chief People Officer(CPO) outlining the specific steps required for a project, including timelines, deliverables, and roles of each team member. Regular updates on progress and feedback sessions can also help keep everyone on track and reduce anxiety.
Method 3: Promote a healthy work-life balance
Excessive work hours and lack of personal time can exacerbate performance anxiety. Employers can help by promoting a healthy work-life balance, such as implementing flexible work hours, encouraging employees to take breaks, and respecting personal time by avoiding sending work communications outside of office hours. For example, a company might implement a policy where no emails are sent after 6 PM or during weekends.
Method 4: Offer mental health resources
Providing resources for mental health can also be a significant help. This could include offering access to counselling services, facilitating stress management workshops, or providing educational materials on dealing with anxiety. Some companies even offer meditation or yoga classes to help employees relax and manage stress.
Method 5: Foster a positive workplace culture
Creating a positive workplace culture that values all contributions and celebrates successes can also help reduce performance anxiety. This includes recognising individual achievements, facilitating team-building activities, and promoting a supportive and inclusive environment. A simple example could be a monthly team meeting where individual achievements are acknowledged and celebrated.
Method 6: Provide training and development opportunities
Offering opportunities for employees to learn and develop new skills can also help alleviate work-related anxiety. By providing training, employees can gain confidence in their abilities and feel more prepared to handle their tasks. Additionally, career development programs can give employees a sense of progress and direction, reducing anxieties about job security or stagnation.
How can technology help with managing performance anxiety?
Cognitive Behavioural Tools (CBT)
Digital CBT tools and apps can provide evidence-based treatments for performance anxiety. These apps often include modules on thought challenging, anxiety management, and relaxation techniques that can be accessed at any time, providing employees with the tools they need to manage their anxiety. Many of these are also free to download and interactive.
Virtual Reality (VR) Tools
VR has been used effectively for relaxation and teaching coping strategies. VR environments can provide a safe space for employees to practice dealing with stressful situations, thereby helping them manage their anxiety.
Project Management Software
Project management software can help reduce work anxiety by providing clear project timelines, tasks, and expectations. By having clarity on their tasks and deadlines, employees can better manage their workload and thus reduce performance anxiety. A good example of this would be the Microsoft ‘To Do’ tool, which is collaborative and can link up directly with the user's outlook.
Digital tools to improve the workplace
Undertaking a digital transformation project could see organisations adopting business technologies and software that are built into their work processes, to improve satisfaction and performance management between leadership teams and their employees in a more organic way. Tools such as Advanced Clear Review help to improve communication, build out regular personal development sessions, and clear goal setting.
Advanced - here to help reduce workplace anxiety
Advanced with their set of HR-centric tools help businesses manage their human resources more effectively and plays a crucial role in reducing workplace anxiety.
With Advanced HR, communication between managers and employees becomes more streamlined. The tool provides a platform where expectations can be clearly laid out, and feedback can be shared instantly. This clarity helps eliminate uncertainties that often contribute to performance anxiety.
Performance management tools, such Advanced Clear Review allows regular check-ins and performance reviews, facilitating clear and constructive feedback. This continuous feedback loop not only helps employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement but also reduces anxiety by providing a clear direction for their work.
The platform also offers features for training and development. By offering a range of learning resources and opportunities for skill development, Advanced HR empowers employees, boosts their confidence, and alleviates performance anxiety.
If you would like to learn more about how our people management solutions can support your business and employees then please get in touch with our team today.