I have an anxiety-prone brain. When presented with a new idea, my first instinct is usually to think of what could go wrong and the worst-case scenario. Whenever communication is ambiguous, the first conclusion I jump to is a negative one.
What Anxiety Does to Us at Work
It changes how we perceive things.
May 17, 2019
Bill Cahill/Getty Images
Summary.
Anxiety can cause you problems at work. Perhaps it leads you to misjudge what other people think of you, react defensively to feedback, focus on risks when facing new ideas or avoid certain situations which creates an impression that you’re difficult. Although these tendencies are often hard-wired into our brains we can do something about them. First, consider whether your ideas about colleagues are based on evidence. Figure out how you like to receive criticism and even when it doesn’t come that way, master a few set responses that offer you more time to process the information. When you would like to avoid something, be honest with your team about why. And, when you react to new ideas, make sure to emphasize the positives as well as the negatives.