REMOTE WORKING is causing business professionals to feel increasingly anxious and stressed, with many calling out for appropriate training to help them cope, new research reveals.

A study of 1,000 workers published in Beating Workplace Performance Anxiety, a report by the commercial arm of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, RADA Business, reveals that 44% of workers believe training would help reduce their performance anxiety in the workplace.

Workplace performance anxiety is defined as the nerves, uncertainty and fear that we may feel in workplace scenarios in which we are required to perform. It can manifest itself in both physical and emotional responses to these situations.

Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) said they would like training to help them perform better in situations that they find stressful, while 20% think training on how to deal with the physical effects of performance anxiety would allow them to cope better.

The study goes on to suggest that stress and worry causes 33% of workers to feel less confident about their abilities, while 25% feel irritable and bad tempered, and 20% say they are much less productive when they are anxious – highlighting that companies could be doing more to train their employees and help alleviate these worries.

Remote working is exacerbating these affects further according to recent studies, which show that 56% of UK workers say their mental health has deteriorated while working from home during the pandemic1.

The studies also suggest that a staggering 86% of workers feel they need to prove to senior management that they are working hard and deserve to keep their jobs as the economic climate remains uncertain1, which will have a significant impact on performance anxiety.

Some of the physical side effects identified by the RADA Business research for nearly 1 in 3 (30%) workers is an increased heart rate when they feel worried, 22% get sweaty palms, and 15% feel nauseous. 

According to respondents, some other ways to cope with workplace performance anxiety could include an increase in self-confidence (30%), asking colleagues for support (21%), or having more time to prepare (20%).

The study also found that nearly 1 in 4 (23%) workers think practical tips to help reduce stress in work situations would help.

Kate Walker Miles, Tutor and Client Manager at RADA Business, comments on the findings: “It’s clear that the pressures and uncertainty of working remotely during these unprecedented times is having a significant impact on the vast majority of workers. Job security and the pressure to perform at your best are just some of the added pressures, which business professionals are facing.

“Our research and other studies show that companies could be doing more to support their workers, as a number have expressed the need for more appropriate training and advice to cope with workplace performance anxiety effectively.’’

“By building upon acting techniques, business professionals can begin to cope with their workplace performance anxiety. Releasing physical tension from the body is a great way to start. You can do this by squeezing your shoulders up towards you ears and then dropping them. Tilt your left ear towards your left shoulder and then your right ear towards your right shoulder, to release neck tension, and then shake out your arms and legs. Then take a moment to think about your breath. Breathe out, fully. Then breathe in slowly and imagine sending your breath down into your pelvis. Repeat before or during any workplace scenario where you struggle to manage your nerves.

“When working from home, try not to schedule back-to-back, hour-long meetings. Just ten minutes away from your screen every hour will give you time reenergise and clear your mind, so you can focus on the next task. Going out for a walk at lunchtime is time well spent. After all, moving and getting into our bodies can help to free the mind. A change of scenery is great stimulation for the brain during lockdown, as many of us have spent all out time in one space, working and living at home.

‘‘Finally, notice the stories you are telling yourself. With reduced social contact, it can be tempting to ruminate on anxieties and irritants. Negative self-talk such as: “I can’t do this task”, or “I’m out of my depth” can run rife and have a powerful effect on your behaviour. Once you have released tension in the body by exercising or stretching, it is time to work on maintaining a positive mindset. The brain doesn’t like to be critical and creative at the same time; critical self-talk literally closes down creative thinking. By changing the negative messages for positive ones, you are setting your brain up for success.”

“These techniques can be applied anywhere, whether you’re working remotely, or when the time comes to return to the office. Speak to your company or line-manager to ensure they are providing you with the correct level of support.”

Yoga improves symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, a condition with chronic nervousness and worry, suggesting the popular practice may be helpful in treating anxiety in some people.

Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a new study found that yoga was significantly more effective for generalized anxiety disorder than standard education on stress management, but not effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard form of structured talk therapy that helps patients identify negative thinking for better responses to challenges.

“Generalized anxiety disorder is a very common condition, yet many are not willing or able to access evidence-based treatments,” says lead study author Naomi M. Simon, MD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. “Our findings demonstrate that yoga, which is safe and widely available, can improve symptoms for some people with this disorder and could be a valuable tool in an overall treatment plan.”

For the study, publishing online Aug. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry, 226 men and women with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to three groups – either CBT, Kundalini yoga, or stress-management education, a standardized control technique.

After three months, both CBT and yoga were found to be significantly more effective for anxiety than stress management. Specifically, 54 percent of those who practiced yoga met response criteria for meaningfully improved symptoms compared to 33 percent in the stress-education group. Of those treated with CBT, 71 percent met these symptom improvement criteria.

However, after six months of follow-up, the CBT response remained significantly better than stress education (the control therapy), while yoga was no longer significantly better, suggesting CBT may have more robust, longer-lasting anxiety-reducing effects.

Study Details

The study involved an evidence-based protocol for CBT treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, including psychoeducation, cognitive interventions (focused on identifying and adapting maladaptive thoughts and worrying), and muscle relaxation techniques.

Kundalini yoga included physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, yoga theory, and meditation/mindfulness practice.

The stress-management education control group received lectures about the physiological, psychological and medical effects of stress, as well as the antianxiety effects of lifestyle behaviors, such as reducing alcohol and smoking, and the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. Homework consisted of listening to educational material about stress, nutrition, and lifestyle.

Each treatment was administered in groups of three to six participants, over weekly two-hour sessions for 12 weeks with 20 minutes of daily homework assigned.

Can Yoga Help Treat Anxiety?

According to researchers, generalized anxiety disorder is a common, impairing, and undertreated condition, currently affecting an estimated 6.8 million Americans. While most people feel anxious from time to time, it is considered a disorder when worrying becomes excessive and interferes with day-to-day life. CBT is considered the gold standard first-line treatment. Medications, including antidepressants and sometimes benzodiazepines, may also be used. Yet, not everyone is willing to take medication which can have adverse side effects and there are challenges with accessing CBT for many, including lack of access to trained therapists and long waitlists.

“Many people already seek complementary and alternative interventions, including yoga, to treat anxiety,” says Dr. Simon. “This study suggests that at least short-term there is significant value for people with generalized anxiety disorder to give yoga a try to see if it works for them. Yoga is well-tolerated, easily accessible, and has a number of health benefits.”

According to Dr. Simon, future research should aim to understand who is most likely to benefit from yoga for generalized anxiety disorder to help providers better personalize treatment recommendations.

“We need more options to treat anxiety because different people will respond to different interventions, and having more options can help overcome barriers to care,” she says. “Having a range of effective treatments can increase the likelihood people with anxiety will be willing to engage in evidence-based care.”

 Short, frequent walks in blue spaces–areas that prominently feature water, such as beaches, lakes, rivers or fountains–may have a positive effect on people’s well-being and mood, according to a new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation.

The study, conducted within the BlueHealth project and published in Environmental Research, used data on 59 adults. Over the course of one week, participants spent 20 minutes each day walking in a blue space. In a different week, they spent 20 minutes each day walking in an urban environment. During yet another week, they spent the same amount of time resting indoors. The blue space route was along a beach in Barcelona, while the urban route was along city streets. Before, during and after each activity, researchers measured the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate and used questionnaires to assess their well-being and mood.

“We saw a significant improvement in the participants’ well-being and mood immediately after they went for a walk in the blue space, compared with walking in an urban environment or resting,” commented Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Director of the Urban Planning, Environment and Health Initiative at ISGlobal and coordinator of the study. Specifically, after taking a short walk on the beach in Barcelona, participants reported improvements in their mood, vitality and mental health.

The authors did not identify any cardiovascular health benefits, although they believe this may be due to the design of the study. “We assessed the immediate effects of taking a short walk along a blue space,” commented ISGlobal researcher Cristina Vert, lead author of the study. “Continuous, long-lasting exposure to these spaces might have positive effects on cardiovascular health that we were not able to observe in this study.”

The Importance of the Environment on Health

“Our results show that the psychological benefits of physical activity vary according to the type of environment where it is carried out, and that blue spaces are better than urban spaces in this regard,” commented Vert.

Numerous ISGlobal studies have identified health benefits associated with green spaces, including lower risk of obesity, better attention capacities in children and slower physical decline in older adults. The new study provides evidence showing that blue spaces are an environment favourable to mental health.

“According to the United Nations, 55% of the global population now lives in cities,” explained Nieuwenhuijsen. “It is crucial to identify and enhance elements that improve our health–such as blue spaces–so that we can create healthier, more sustainable and more liveable cities.”

Britain has gotten more stressful in recent years for many people. Everywhere we look, there’s a new statistic to tell us just how miserable, burnt out, and fundamentally abandoned we are: one recent survey reported that only 13 per cent of people in the UK would say they are in good mental health.

Let’s put some context in that statistic. The current UK population stands at 67,613,395*. If, on average, only 13 per cent of the population feels as though they are enjoying a good level of mental health, that means a whopping 58,823,654 people are dealing with below-average mental health.

What about in the workplace? Well, looking at a hypothetical company of 50 employees, if only 13 per cent are happy in their current mental health, there are around 43 employees who are struggling with less-than-great mental health.

Clearly, there’s a need to support and cultivate good mental health practices in the workplaces of Britain. But how can employers and employees go about doing this? As with any problem, the first step is to identify exactly what it is…

Mental health vs mental illness: What’s the difference?

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, mental health and mental illness are very different issues. Both need to be handled in the workplace with equal levels of respect and understanding, and in many cases, both are manageable for a person in order to perform as well as their co-workers who suffer neither mental illness nor poor mental health.

But it is important to understand the difference in order to deliver the best level of management within your workplace. On his recent visit to South Africa, the Duke of Sussex defined the two matters best by saying:

“I think most of the stigma is around mental illness, we need to separate the two… mental health, which is every single one of us, and mental illness, which could be every single one of us.”

Everyone deals with mental health every day, in much the same way as they deal with physical health. Some people are physically healthy, while some people have physical illnesses they deal with on a daily basis. An external factor can impact your physical health — for example, someone who is physically healthy walks into a room filled with smoke. They start coughing, and their physical health decreases in that situation. But for someone with a physical illness they deal with every day, a flare-up of symptoms can cause their physical health to decrease without any outside cause (like the smoke!). But, if that person were to walk into the same room of smoke, they would start coughing like the physically healthy person would, only to a heightened degree.

The same can be said for mental health compared to mental illness. Someone who is mentally healthy might have a bad day at work. This causes their mental health to decrease — and it’s an understandable reaction to a negative event. But someone with mental illness may feel that way without any obvious outside influence (like the bad day at work scenario). Again, should the person with mental illness have a bad day at work too, they might feel the impact of this outside influence to a much greater degree. Of course, that’s not to say that’s always the case — someone with a mental illness can be mentally healthy and coping well. Someone without a mental illness can be mentally unhealthy and not coping.

Correctly supporting mental health and mental illness at work

As cliché as it sounds, a happy workforce is a productive workforce. Businesses can do several things to not only support employees coping with mental illness, but also support positive day-to-day mental health across the workforce. Often, these processes go hand-in-hand, but there are a few things companies can do to specifically tailor to one or the other.

Education at work

Holding talks can be hugely beneficial to creating a sense of openness and understanding in the workplace. Many people may erroneously think a mental illness automatically disqualifies someone from working or think that poor mental health is a sign of weakness. Both of these viewpoints can be wildly detrimental to other employees, who may not have spoken openly about their struggles and fear to do so upon hearing this from their colleagues.

Encourage a better-enlightened mindset for your workplace. There are numerous charities and experts who would be more than happy to come into the workplace to give a talk on the realities of mental health and mental illness, and help to disperse any stereotypes or falsehoods regarding the issues.

Why not make a day of it? You don’t have to wait for an national day to raise awareness — host an expert for a workshop on mental health in the workplace, and set aside some time in the canteen after for people to ask questions and discuss the matter. You could make a coffee morning of it with an array of cakes on offer, hot beverages, or an iced coffee machine if you’re hosting in the summer months! This type of event will make for a much more open and supportive network among staff. They will learn how to approach co-workers they may be concerned for, or how to reach out if they themselves are dealing with a difficult time.

Offer flexibility

There are processes that can be built into a company to help ease pressure on mental health. The goal is to make the office environment as relaxed as possible — the work itself might be stressful, but the environment should balance out to avoid natural stress becoming unmanageable anxiety. After all, a comfortable worker can tackle a difficult task better than an uncomfortable one.

Be sure to look at your workplace’s processes and layouts too. For example, open-plan offices are popular in the workplace right now, and it certainly has its benefits. It prevents silo-working, encourages communication, and dispels some of the hierarchal feeling that can develop in cubicle-style work. People can ask for feedback easier in an open-plan office, and this can promote a more efficient creativity.

However, for someone with anxiety or autism, open-plan offices can prove challenging. The sense of being in a crowd can be uncomfortable for some, and people with anxiety disorders or autism can struggle in noisy, chaotic environments — too much noise, from office music or chatter, can overwhelm an employee with autism, for example, due to auditory sensitivity. An anxious employee might find it difficult to work in an open-plan office, but not impossible on a good day. But on a bad day, it could be overbearing. Having the option to work away from the open-style office could be a beneficial perk to some employees, whether this is a dedicated “quiet room” for intensive tasks that require a lot of concentration, or the option to work from home on days when a person’s mental health isn’t at its best.

The fact is many people are working while dealing with bad mental health or a daily struggle with mental illness. Many people do so perfectly successfully too! But it is beneficial to both employers and employees to ensure flexibility and support are on hand at work to help everyone when needed.

*Number correct as of 24^th September 2019

Sources:

https://www.ihasco.co.uk/blog/entry/1934/shocking-statistics-behind-mental-health-in-uk-workplaces

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/uk-population/

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/meghan-markle-prince-harry-royal-tour-mental-health-illness-stigma-archie-beach-a9118051.html

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-openplan-office-space-80288.html