anxiety at work
In today’s fast-paced professional environment, workplace anxiety is becoming more and more common. However, individuals can use distancing techniques to gain new perspectives on challenges such as layoffs and increased workload, and develop a sober approach to managing anxiety at work. .
Effects of distance on coping with anxiety
Distancing involves creating a mental space between yourself and your thoughts so that you can observe them from a neutral perspective. Using this technique, you can break the automatic connection between your mind and negative thoughts and analyze them objectively. Ethan Cross, psychologist and author of the best-selling book Chatter, says, “A narrow view of your situation magnifies adversity, and the negative side of your inner voice kicks in, triggering rumination, stress, anxiety, and depression.” said. Here are his four ways to distance yourself and look at the problem from a broader perspective.
1) Zoom out like a bee
One of the key factors in managing workplace anxiety is practicing cognitive distancing. This involves mentally stepping back from the situation and observing the situation objectively as if you were a bee. Can you see yourself from above? what do you see? what is your current behavior? what else can i do?
2) Temporal distance
Another effective technique is temporal distance. When faced with stressful situations, remember that time can change things a lot. Consider past challenges that eventually resolve themselves automatically, and how this situation could follow a similar path. Ethan Cross also invites you to time travel to the future. Thinking about how he might feel about the issue ten years from now helps him put the issue into perspective and understand that his experience is temporary.
3) Be best friends
Take a step back from your negative thoughts and think objectively as if you were talking to your best friend. Your best friend will never be too harsh or negative about your behavior, and probably no worse than you. Imagine that you are listening to your friend express his lack of confidence. This mental detachment leaves you emotionally detached and allows you to assess the situation more rationally. Distancing yourself allows you to challenge the accuracy of your negative self-talk and replace it with a more balanced and realistic perspective. Your friend may be more considerate than you.
4) Avoid talking to yourself
When talking about yourself, instead of using “I” or “me”, refer to the situation as if you were talking about someone else. You can use your own name. Third Party: Why did Lucy do this? How could she do that? She can also use the second person, “How can she do that?” It promotes rational thinking. Instead of being more emotional about what happened or what is about to happen, you avoid feeling embarrassed or embarrassed instead of letting yourself in.
Anxiety is a challenge that can be overcome in the ever-evolving demands of a career. Incorporating distance techniques into your daily routine can help you have a clearer picture of your situation, reduce stress, and approach challenges with a calmer mindset. Remember that managing anxiety at work isn’t about getting rid of stress entirely, it’s about developing strategies to effectively work through it and stay healthy.
