Workplace Anxiety Could Lead to Lower Job Performance

Posted August 30, 2015 & filed under Industry Insight, Productivity, Work Environment

A new study found that being anxious at work could lead to weaker performance on the job. New findings in the Journal of Applied Psychology show that workplace anxiety could cause workers to perform less on the job.  A recent article in Science World Report focused on these findings.

The article notes some key statistics related to anxiety in general, stating, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting roughly 40 million adults age 18 and up. Though highly treatable, only about one-third of those suffering from the problem actually never receive treatment and they’re often caused by a complex set of factors, ranging from genetics and brain chemistry to personality and life events.”

So, it is clear that anxiety is a true struggle that is faced by many Americans in today’s workforce. Everyone strives to be happy at work and their employer also hopes to have employees that feel satisfied by the work they are doing. But, anxiety can really disrupt the way business is done. The article cites new research from the University of Toronto that “found that the effect of workplace anxiety on job performance is closely connected to the quality of relationships between employees, coworkers and bosses.” Having high quality relationships with your peers and others in your office can assist in tackling this anxiety. Also, getting rid of anxiety can be a group effort and a positive work environment can definitely help in improving the anxiety levels. Having company outings after work could foster a happier group of employees. Even just having more status meetings or a quick scheduled group chat outdoors could change things up. Building out programs to help employees feel more comfortable and less stressed and anxious can help and HR departments could build out a program. It is best to talk to HR if you, yourself, feel anxious on the job or if you are worried about a coworker who seems to be too anxious at work. Your job should be relatively positive most of the time, and if you focus on improving whatever is causing your anxiety or your coworkers’ anxiety, you all could be much happier and more productive.