MHM Magazine

32 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 2022 | Issue 6 MHM SOURCES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF WORKPLACE ANXIETY There are different sources and contributing factors of anxiety - the most common are the nature vs nurture debate, development, trauma and environment. • Nature: Some people are more prone to anxiety due to their genes. We hear people saying anxiety runs in the family although there may be other members of the family who don’t suffer from it. These people may be more vulnerable to workplace stress and require coping mechanisms that others may not. • Nurture and how people are brought up affects how they perceive things. Some people are brought up in a pressurised environment that results in increased anxiety. The workplace can be a major contributor to anxiety if the environment is conducive to stress. • Development: Individuals experience anxiety at different stages of their lives. The source of anxiety may differ at different stages. Some people may suffer from anxiety at a younger age but learn to cope with it as adults. Young adults taking on a job for the first time, or those changing roles or companies, may be at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety. • Trauma: People who experience trauma without EAP interventions are likely to develop anxiety. It could stem from the actual event and the concern that it might happen in future. Trauma can make individuals more susceptible to stress, which can be exacerbated in stressful work environments. • The environment: Internal factors in the organisation also affects employees. The key areas are the organisation, the job, and the people. External factors such as economic, social, political and technological changes affect employees. • Economy: The cost of living is too high, and people struggle to make a living. There is a loss of jobs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic • Social: Problems such as poverty, crime and violence are increasing, causing significant amounts of stress to ordinary South Africans • Political: Instability and corruption are a major cause of stress for most working people • Technology: Increased use of technology brings about challenges such as access to data and exposure to criminal elements; blurred boundaries where employees are expected to work longer hours; exhaustion and lack of sleep may result in anxiety • The organisation - A conducive environment is required for individuals to flourish at work. This environment is where individuals have clear roles and responsibilities, are given the autonomy to make decisions and growth opportunities and are supported by their managers. • The job – individuals need to be provided with resources and support to feel capable of doing the job and at times, stretched to do more. Performance anxiety results when individuals are not coping with the demands of the role and feel they are not supported. They must be guided and given training opportunities to learn more about their jobs. When employees leave, some organisations usually don’t appoint new people. As a result, the people left behind are supposed to take on more responsibilities without change in their income, leading to work overload and anxiety. The people: creating a good working relationship with people in the workplace is essential. In most cases, teamwork is required to achieve certain goals. WHAT CAN THE ORGANISATION DO TO HELP INDIVIDUALS TO DEAL WITH ANXIETY? There are different interventions that individuals, teams and organisations can use to deal with stress. • Wellness programmes • Training of managers and staff to understand how anxiety and mental illness can manifest and be dealt with in the workplace • Create a conducive environment where there is empathy and empowerment for people to flourish • Treat people as human beings and provide work-life balance HOW YOUR PATIENTS CAN COPE WITH WORKPLACE ANXIETY It may take time to determine how personal and work challenges are affecting your patients. Each person experiences surface issues, but sometimes deep-seated problems are not easily accessible to most people. Relevant healthcare professionals can provide clarity. • Advise them to talk to a trusted person and only share what they’re comfortable sharing with others, such as a family member, friend or pastor. They can express their feelings and get different perspectives when they talk to someone. • Seeking help: It’s a sign of strength to seek help. Some may need to see a therapist or a psychiatrist depending on the case. • Encourage them to acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses. • Self-care. When people take care of themselves, they fill up their cup so it overflows and allows them to pour into other people’s lives. • Enlist Support. Look for support at work and be supportive of others. Let them know that they don’t have to be strong all the time. • Forgive self and others. This will help them to let go of the past CONCLUSION Stanley, like most people, had to learn the hard way about his condition. He started noticing specific changes in himself, such as dreading going to work, his performance dropping, fear of failure, isolating himself, having difficulty concentrating, struggling to complete tasks and neglecting himself and his family. He was fortunate to have a caring manager trained to notice the patterns and refer him for counselling. It’s common for people to struggle with the daily challenges of an increasingly demanding and stressful society, but being able to recognise when anxiety is manifesting empowers people to seek help and find ways of managing their stress more effectively. References available on request.