Breathe Well, Work Well: Anxiety Management Techniques for the Workplace

This time of year usually sees an increase in stress and anxiety. It’s critical to identify practical strategies for handling these demands. Mindful breathing is one technique that is becoming more and more popular due to its ease of use and efficiency. This age-old method can be a game-changer for managing anxiety at work in addition to enhancing general wellbeing.

Managing Anxiety at Work

Anxiety is essentially your body’s way of alerting you to something amiss, something you need to address and worry about.

Even while anxiety is unpleasant, it might serve as a signal to act. According to researcher , “anxiety gives us the endurance to keep going and the focus and energy to work toward what we desire” in her book Future Tense: Why Anxiety is Good for You.

The only autonomous function that you can consciously regulate is your breathing; you cannot control your heart rate or your perspiration.

According to scientific research, deep breathing sets off the body’s relaxation response, which lowers stress hormone production and fosters calmness. While anxiety alerts your brain to danger, deep breathing reassures it that you can handle this.

Including attentive breathing exercises in your regular routine can help you combat anxiety at work.

How to control your anxiety with breathing

Conscious Breathing

Take two minutes to practice deep breathing to improve your ability to think effectively. Square breathing is one technique for concentrating on breathing: take a slow, four-count breath through your nose. For four counts, hold the breath at the top. Next, take a gentle 4 count breath out through your mouth. Finally, hold the breath for 4 counts. then begin the process anew. The Wim Hof Method is another breathing technique that is becoming more and more well-liked.

Self-knowledge

After you’re more at ease, spend some time pinpointing the precise cause of your worry. What specifically about the meeting worries you? Is it a particular subject? Do you have a phobia of public speaking instead?

Moving Forward

Take action to deal with your primary concern or fear. Your worry won’t go away if the activity feels too vast or complex, so divide major projects into smaller, more doable ones. Overcoming nervousness is aided by the notion that you can complete your activity. If you are unable to pinpoint the cause of your anxiety, talk to someone about it with a coach, family member, or coworker.

Developing a Habit of Deep Breathing

Even when you’re not experiencing anxiety, breathing exercises can help you get more accustomed to using it when necessary. Breathing exercises should be done as soon as you get up, shortly before a meal when your stomach is still empty, or right before bed. Consider it a muscle that requires training, just as how you wouldn’t be able to run a marathon without adequate preparation. It is a good idea to practice breathing exercises with a journal close at hand. It’s common to notice that you can think more clearly and generate fresh thoughts after a breathing exercise. You may find it easier to remember them if you write them down in your journal.

Useful Use in the Workplace

To focus yourself before and during meetings, practice mindful breathing. To release tension and enter conversations with a calmer, more collected attitude, pay attention to your breathing. Decision-making and communication may benefit from this. Short mindfulness breaks can also be incorporated into your working by getting up from your desk, closing your eyes, and taking slow, deliberate breaths. When faced with pressing deadlines, pause and take a deep breath. This enables you to approach things with a more measured and strategic perspective in addition to helping you manage stress.

The influence of attentive breathing is simple yet significant, something that is sometimes overlooked in the persistent pursuit of professional goals. Intentionally incorporating breathwork into our daily routines as professionals can make a big difference in improving resilience, controlling anxiety at work, and creating a healthier work environment. People can get a useful tool for more easily and focusedly handling the obstacles in their jobs by learning to embrace the power of breath.