kate, Author at Goodlife Institute

Anxiety in the workplace is at an all-time high. After the events of the last few years, it makes sense that since 2019, reported symptoms of workplace anxiety have tripled. At every level, the pandemic placed added stressors on the workforce. And it should come as no surprise then that 83% of US adults indicate that their level of workplace anxiety has increased exponentially.

Mental health can be a challenge for people at every level within a company, including the C-Suite. Those at the top are not more protected or immune from depression, stress, anxiety, and even burnout. After all, the high stress found in the executive ranks combined with a lack of work-life balance and sometimes limited self-care is a recipe for anxiety as well as burnout.

When anxiety rears its head, executive leaders are plagued with questions like:

“How can I lead with authority and strength when I feel anxious?

How can I inspire and motivate others when my mind and heart are racing?”

If you experience anxiety at work, you’re not alone. But solving work stress and reducing feelings of anxiety is a complex issue. For example, work stress is rarely one singular issue. And feelings of anxiety are often caused by a combination of factors like double-booked meetings, tight deadlines, and the unique challenges women continue to face as executive leaders in the workplace.

Luckily, there are effective ways to help manage stress and anxiety at work.

Signs of Anxiety in the C-Suite

Feeling anxious about work at certain times is a universal experience. However, in addition to the struggles faced by people in the lower levels of an organization, many female executives feel they have extra challenges as a result of their high-ranking position:

Some common signs of anxiety in the workplace include:

The intense pressure of being responsible and accountable for the company and stakeholders, overall success within the community the organization serves, along with the performance and well-being of their team
The expectation to be ‘bulletproof’ and fully committed and available at all times regardless of the impact this may have on a personal life
The added stress female leaders feel to always show their ‘A-game’ and be successful in all endeavors
The perceived impact on reputation and credibility as they navigate uncertainty in the market or if they make decisions that disrupt the status quo
The emotional toll anxiety produces can lead to physical issues like insomnia, difficulty concentrating and feeling irritable or tense

Workplace anxiety can fuel emotional exhaustion in the long run, leading to a constant state of physical and emotional depletion. Not only that but fearful of losing their place at the table, female executives will continue to trade-off their personal life in order to maintain their work performance which will eventually lead to career burnout.

Causes of Workplace Anxiety

Stress at work can manifest differently for everyone. However, these are a handful of common causes of work anxiety:

Having tight deadlines and back-to-back meetings
Putting off personal life goals to meet work goals
Experiencing difficulty in transitioning to a leadership role
Working in a sonic-paced or unpredictable environment
Feeling like your day is out of your control

What’s more, being unable to disconnect from work outside of the office can also lead to anxious feelings which left unchecked can become a chronic problem. It’s important to have strategies in place to combat these feelings, especially since the pace and expectations associated with a senior-level role are unlikely to change. The good news is, that once you’ve dialed in strategies to reduce anxiety and stress, you can thrive in your executive position.

4 Ways to Manage Workplace Anxiety

If you experience anxiety in the workplace, here are four strategies we use with our clients to help them mitigate stressful feelings and navigate even the most challenging situations with ease.

1. Disconnect At Will

It is vital to disconnect from work physically, mentally, and emotionally. Most recommended strategies like turning off notifications merely address the physical aspect of disconnection. However, that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Learning to disconnect mentally and emotionally will fortify you when the next work crisis arises.

2. Lean into Leadership

When deadlines and projects are looming, our go-to girl persona wants to jump into action and get it all done. However, this adds unnecessary stress and at the executive level, it’s important to lead rather than do. Give your team clear directives, keep your team energized about their role, provide the tools necessary and give them a chance to get the job done.

3. Meet Your Needs

Learning to meet your needs at a high level is the best way to protect your mental health at work. Learn to identify what you need throughout the day, whether that is meditation, stepping outside, or making your favorite tea to enjoy while you work. The strategies we use to meet our needs can vary, but it’s up to us to meet them throughout the workday to stay at the top of our game.

4. Find a Mentor

Finally, working with a mentor can make a huge difference between suffering and succeeding at the top. Globally, 24% of senior leadership roles are held by women. To learn how to navigate a high-pressure career without succumbing to the stress inherent in executive roles, finding someone who understands the unique challenges for female leaders, and has a proven track record for thriving in the C-Suite can be career-saving.

>> Anxiety often shows up hand-in-hand with burnout. Check out this article to learn how to protect your executive career from burnout.

And if you’re ready to learn more about overcoming anxiety & burnout in your career, watch our free video masterclass.

Across all industries, burnout is at an all-time high but is especially prevalent for female executives. With fewer role models at the senior level to help guide you, many women struggle to transition from mid-level management to senior leadership. And while a tendency to overwork may have helped professional women establish themselves in the junior years of their careers, it is also a key contributor to executive burnout.

According to recent studies, 60% of leaders report feeling “used up” at the end of the workday. This is a common warning sign of job burnout. Let’s look at what causes burnout and how to prevent it.

What is Burnout?

With a relentless schedule of back-to-back meetings being the norm at the leadership level, it should come as no surprise to learn that burnout often comes up in relation to work-related stress. However, while it may have some of the same symptoms, burnout does differ from daily workplace anxiety and requires different strategies to effectively overcome its effects.

The World Health Organization recently defined burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

In short, burnout is specifically related to a work context, not other life or personal factors. Yet, the symptoms of burnout, which can manifest as emotional and physical health problems like exhaustion, reduced professional efficacy, and negative mental health definitely impacts your quality of life.

How to Recognize if You Have Executive Burnout

You know you are in burnout when:

You dream of escaping

For example, you might look out the window and wish you are the window washer on the office building across the street instead of sitting in your corner office. Another common fantasy is to wish you had a minor illness; nothing major, just sick enough to give you permission to stay home for a few weeks and get a break from the pressures of your professional life.

You feel apathy

Once burnout becomes entrenched, apathy sets in. Apathy can manifest in a number of ways. You’ll notice you start declining meeting invites or skipping meetings unannounced. You may come to work late and leave early. Or when your phone rings, instead of jumping to see who called, you shut off the ringer and allow it to go to voicemail.

You start to settle

As burnout becomes more intense, you may begin to rationalize that churning butter in the woods or becoming a kayak instructor are better options.

Or your self-talk starts to normalize walking away with statements like “simpler will be better” “I don’t need all this” and “the money isn’t worth the trade-off”.

But let’s say you put your fantasy into action. Now you’re escaping the problem.

And when you walk away for a “simpler life” there is a real risk that you may wake up down the road and feel panic at the hard-won success you’ve lost and resentment for those who continued to advance past you in a career you actually loved.

Executive Burnout 101

While our understanding of burnout is evolving, the concept of executive burnout was first explored in depth in a popular Harvard Business Review article in 1981. It found that most executives who were experiencing emotional exhaustion were overwhelmed with tasks that offered little reward or a clear path to success.

The article also outlined some common symptoms of burnout in executives, including

Chronic fatigue
Anger at those making demands
Self-criticism
Cynicism, negativity, and irritability
A sense of being besieged
Physical symptoms like headaches, and a weakened immune system

This information still holds true for executives experiencing burnout today. However, they are also facing new challenges in recent years. Today, 37% of executives work longer hours than they did before the pandemic. Even more alarming, 75% report mental and physical health concerns related to their job.

How to Overcome Burnout at Work

Most executives who struggle with burnout think they have a work-life balance problem. However, how to overcome burnout at work is more complex than simply “finding” work-life balance. And often the recommended strategies include working less or walking away from high-pressure roles. For executives who love their careers, there shouldn’t have to be a trade-off between your career and your personal life to alleviate burnout.

It’s completely possible for executive women to overcome burnout without the need for a drastic career change or sabbatical. Here is how executive women can overcome burnout:

Play to Win: Women in leadership have a common fatal flaw; they are killing themselves trying to prove they deserve a place at the table after they already have a place at the table. This culturally ingrained behavior sets women up to fail instead of win. Recognize that you are valuable for who you are and instead of working ten times harder than your colleagues, simply show up and be authentically you. Believe it or not, that’s why they hired you.

Protect Yourself: At this level, it’s your job to protect your well-being. This means you must be alert to your physical, mental, and emotional health and make sure you are taking steps toward filling your own cup. Otherwise, you’ll risk decision fatigue, imposter syndrome, and anxiety. You don’t have to adopt an all-or-nothing approach. Small, yet significant strategies that meet your needs are more than enough to keep you operating at a peak state.

Resource Yourself. Whether that’s a career coach or a network of other executive women, it can be helpful to have a community that understands your struggles and can support you with proven strategies to protect yourself and your career.

Learn more about overcoming burnout and how to revitalize your career in our latest masterclass.

How to Manage Workplace Anxiety