Anxiety and High Performance in the Workplace

My Story: Living With Anxiety

I have always experienced anxiety, both social and general, but it was never severe enough in my youth for me to lose control. However, as I have grown older, I have had to increase my methods for controlling it. This blog post is not about how I overcame anxiety, but rather, how to channel it into a superpower for high performance. While I am not a medical expert, I have observed a pattern among successful people around me who perform at a high level despite experiencing varying degrees of anxiety, whether diagnosed or perceived.

When I was younger, I avoided crowds and situations where I was the centre of attention, but I also loved being a leader, creating internal conflict. I gravitated towards computers and electronics at an early age; if there was a problem with the family computer, I would stay up late at night to fix it.

Once I started working, I noticed that I was different from most people around me.

My Anxiety-Related Behaviours

Anxiety can manifest itself differently from person to person, but I've noticed a series of behavioural traits exhibited by both myself and others around me:

Time Management

I'm always on time, usually early. The thought of inconveniencing others by being late for anything gives me great anxiety.

Attention to Detail

I pay attention to details that others may overlook. Detailing cars was one of my favourite jobs when I was younger. Cleaning a car is easy, but doing it properly to a high standard is another matter. It's not that I obsess about the details until they're perfect; I've just calibrated myself to know what's good enough.

Productivity

I love getting a lot done, rather than doing each task perfectly. This ties back to my desire to not inconvenience anyone. I'd rather complete everything than only half of it, but with the half I did complete being the most amazingly detailed task ever.

Passionate

I'm passionate when things are going right or wrong. I don't run around yelling, but I'm not one to relax either. When something goes wrong, and I don't sense urgency from the people directly involved in that situation, it triggers my anxiety.

My Anxiety at Work

A colleague of mine made a joke about how our job postings should require candidates to demonstrate their anxiety. While it was clearly a joke, there is some truth to the idea that anxiety can be harnessed for success in certain roles. Here are some specific things I do that have naturally led to success:

Organization

My inbox only contains items that require follow-up. Everything else is either stored in a folder or deleted. It's impossible to stay focused with a cluttered inbox.

Calendar

I look at my calendar 12 times a day. I always know where I need to be and when. I also block off time in my calendar when I need to focus on tasks.

Leadership

I enjoy setting the tone and expectations for my team. Once people get to know me, they quickly understand my expectations. Naturally, people under me tend to start behaving the way I do, which leads to my personal satisfaction.

However, anxiety can also be a beast that needs to be controlled. Anxiety in the workplace can manifest itself in negative ways. I watch for these behaviours in myself and others and try to mitigate or avoid them:

Taking Things Personally

This was the hardest for me. When something goes wrong at work that is out of my control, I remind myself not to take it personally and just move forward. When I see others taking a negative situation at work personally, I reassure them that I support them and offer to help.

Not Being Busy

I like being busy, and I think most people do. The consulting business can be cyclical, especially for consultants themselves. Not being busy can lead to overthinking, boredom, and complacency. The reality is that there is always something to do; you just need to ask or invent it.

Being Short With Colleagues

Allowing your personal anxiety or other issues to manifest themselves by being short or rude to others is not healthy. It's important to calibrate yourself and your team to this and set an example without expecting others to perform exactly in the same way.

How to Control My Anxiety

Anxiety can be turned into a superpower if it is controlled. There are several methods I use to control it which may help others. Firstly, I take medication, which has helped me greatly over the past three years. I was worried that it would change my behaviour at work, but it didn't.

Exercise and diet are also important. Simply going outside, taking the dog for a walk, or going for a bike ride can make a huge difference. Eating healthily and reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption can also help.

It is important to shut off during your time off. I never used to do this, but now that I do, I will never go back. Not worrying about emails or instant messages is very liberating.

Talking about mental health issues is also important. Being honest with colleagues and superiors about any issues, not just anxiety, can be very liberating and helpful.

Overall anxiety is just something to manage and control. Use it as your superpower, not your Kryptonite.

---