Keeping Work Anxiety in the Workweek

The typical workweek grind. We clock those hours from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday, hoping and waiting for Friday at five o’clock to arrive. We have dreams of a relaxing and fun weekend, but too often, the stress, anxiety, and worries associated with work creep into that precious time off on the weekends.  Can you relate?

If so, you are not alone. The US news world report recently published an article citing a survey that reported 61% of Americans to state having a difficult time not thinking about work during the weekends. (1)

A recent survey on LinkedIn even reported that 80% of their users report experiencing what they have time as the “Sunday Scaries“ referencing anxiety that occurs on Sundays, associated with the anticipation of the start of the work week the following day. (2)

Surprisingly, 31% of individuals who are employed by a single job, actually work on the weekends, or on their time off, according to the United States, Bureau of labor.  (3)

It’s safe to say that, as a whole, Americans are not winning when it comes to managing our work-life balance, and keeping our work week out of our free time.  

Even more concerning, a recent study, evaluating the workforce in the post-Covid environment reports that 77% of the surveyed employees reported experiencing burnout in their current employment position, and 90% reported that stress, fatigue, and burnout negatively impacted their workplace performance. (4) 

So what can we do about it?

Are there actually ways that we can decrease work anxiety while attempting to enjoy free time on weekends or vacations? Well, we understand this is not a one size fits all need or action plan, there are ways to manage, anxiety, reduce stress, and live overall healthier lives. 

Here are a few things that you may be able to implement to help reduce anxiety is associated with your job position. 

Set boundaries for yourself related to emails and phone calls. 

We understand that every employer may have different requirements related to your correspondence; however, individuals who are able to will benefit from setting boundaries with themselves related to checking emails, voicemails, and other forms of communication associated with their jobs. While it may feel like just a few moments here, or there, when we open up the app to check, emails, or listen to voicemails, messages, or texts concerning work, our brain will shift out of a state of fun, relaxation, or family, connection, and shift into a stage of work. If work is associated with stress, the body will experience stress responses as well. If we’re trying to minimize stress, we need to consolidate those workplace exposures and minimize the workplace stress responses where we can. 

Set a goal or an intention for your time off. 

Whether you have a word of the weekend, a mantra for your vacation, or even an ideal outcome for a night out with friends or family, setting an intention, or a purpose for your time may assist in optimizing the benefits that you get from your time off. 

So, for example, if you’re able to take, the time to have an evening out with friends, and your intention is “connection”, that goal of connection may keep you more focused on the people in front of you, and assist you to route your brain and thoughts back to connecting with those who love rather than wandering to workplace stresses.

Be mindful of your conversations during your time off.

 Have you ever gone out with friends, connected with family members, or attempted to do some other form of fun or relaxing activity, and the entire time, the conversation centered on workplace stresses, complaints, or other forms of venting? There certainly are times and places where cathartic conversations can be healthy and helpful, but if the topic of conversations during your time off, constantly routes back to workplace stresses, this may be a major problem in managing your overall work-life balance. If you are friends with people that you work with, make a rule that conversations will steer clear of workplace topics went out to have a good time. Set boundaries with yourself to have minimalistic responses when workplace topics come up and you’re off the clock. Work hard to develop relationships with people that you have commonalities with, and enjoy outside of your professional employment. 

Have a wind-down routine.

 Whether you are leaving work for the day, or leaving work for the week, rituals and routines can have an amazing impact on assisting our thought patterns. Individuals who have rituals or ways in which they check out of the workday and check into family or personal life tend to have a better balance over their thoughts and worries while they are off the clock.

 These rituals and routines can be simple or elaborate. For some people, the intentional act of changing clothes, Going for a walk, closing out your email messages, taking a moment to breathe and notice that the workday is done, or any other form of meaningful and intentional routine can greatly improve one’s ability to compartmentalize work in the healthiest of ways. 

Reread your job description!  

Over the course of many years of anxiety therapy, assisting individuals in all stages of life in managing workplace anxieties, it is a common theme that many of these anxieties are centered on tasks or roles that are actually outside of the job, description, or responsibilities of the individual. 

Think about it, are you most worried about your own performance at the office, or are you concerned about whether someone else completes their job on time, whether someone else completes a task or some other outcome that is actually beyond your control? Taking the time to reread your job description, resent her on the things that you are actually employed to complete, and remind yourself of your role and purpose within your employment can be a great way to assist those anxious thoughts from wandering Into arenas in areas that are actually outside of your responsibility.

And while the simple tips and tricks may be a starting place for some and managing workplace anxieties, other people may be experiencing greater levels of anxiety that is showing up in the workplace, interfering with their desired performances, or even sucking the joy out of other areas of life like relationships, hobbies, and passions. If you are struggling with anxiety, anxiety therapist and evidence-based anxiety therapy, and interventions exist. 

If you’re located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a member of our team would love to connect with you to assist you in managing your anxiety symptoms and support you in reaching your goals for health and wellness. Don’t let anxiety steal the fun out of your life. We employ trained therapists with expertise and evidence-based therapy interventions, including EMDR therapy, DBT therapy, and other forms of affective therapy treatments. Whether you connect with us online through our online therapy services or in person at our Arlington, Texas based therapy office, we would love to support you in overcoming anxiety and reaching your goals.