Managing Anxiety and Stress in the Workplace and at Home

For some, anxiety is brief and manageable. For others, it’s a chronic issue. For everyone with anxiety, it’s a mental health issue that can affect even the smallest of daily tasks. Stress usually goes hand-in-hand with anxiety, creating an even more complex situation that can impact the household, the workplace, and everywhere in between.

So how can we channel our energy away from anxiety and stress and toward feeling happier and less chaotic?

Audience Questions

Dr. Lisa Coyne answers audience questions, addressing lowering anxiety and stress and providing guidance to empowering us to feel in charge of our own lives and destinies.

• How do I know if I have anxiety and whether it’s chronic or situational?
• How do we know if we’re falling into a pattern of avoidance that’s attributable to anxiety versus a pattern where we’re overwhelmed? Is there a difference between these two patterns of avoidance?
• Are there any telltale signs to indicate someone is experiencing chronic anxiety or stress, either manifesting physically or emotionally, that you could identify in yourself or someone you care about?
• Can you talk about panic and anxiety attacks? If we’re experiencing one or are witnessing someone experiencing one, are there any ways we can assist someone—or ourselves?
• What would be a good way to initiate a conversation with a provider if you think you’re experiencing a lot of stress, anxiety, or panic?
• If you or a person you know is having an attack, is there any way you can help extricate yourself or someone you love from the situation?
• Is anxiety different for neurotypical people versus those with intellectual developmental disorder or high functioning autism spectrum disorder, or is it the same for everyone?
• What is intellectual developmental disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and neurotypical? Can you explain?
• How can you tell what’s a real and perceived threat versus what is considered health-related anxiety?
• What advice do you have for people with anxiety that manifests as chronic pain?
• How can you tell if your gut is telling you to do the right thing or if it’s reacting to fear and anxiety? I feel like my intuition is responding to things that may be unhelpful.
• How do we temper our anxiety in the workplace and pull ourselves back to being happier, higher-functioning members of the workforce?
• Do breathing exercises actually work for anxiety?
• Do you have any advice for bringing up stress and anxiety with a boss, manager, or coworkers? Is it worth bringing up at all?
• What happens if you’re in a toxic environment where you’re consistently experiencing frustration or blame for outcomes? How can you manage anxiety if there is minimal positive outcome, minimal support, or you simply can’t leave the situation?
• How exactly is social media worsening our anxiety and stress?
• Can you talk more about kids and anxiety? They can have a hard time conveying emotion, so how do we talk about it with kids if they mimic adult behaviors? How can we make it less scary and something they can control and manage over time?
• Do you have any curriculum or activities for elementary-aged kids experiencing anxiety?
• Do you have any advice for parents who are homeschooling but also juggling working from home and handling children?
• Are there any resources that are must-have, “if you are starting here with anxiety, here’s where you should start” types of resources?

The information discussed is intended to be educational and should not be used as a substitute for guidance provided by your health care provider. Please consult with your treatment team before making any changes to your care plan.

Resources

Dr. Coyne mentioned this helpful information during the session:

• Mindful Way Through Anxiety – Book by Susan M. Orsillo and Lizabeth Roemer
• International OCD Foundation
• Society of Clinical Psychology: Evidence-Based Treatment
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America
• Draw Your Monster
• Everything You Need To Know About Stress

About Dr. Coyne

Lisa W. Coyne, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, part-time, at Harvard Medical School, and is a senior clinical consultant at the Child and Adolescent OCD Institute (OCDI Jr.) at McLean Hospital.

Dr. Coyne has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on anxiety, OCD, and parenting. She is the author of “The Joy of Parenting: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Guide to Effective Parenting in the Early Years,” a book for parents of young children.

Recent books by Dr. Coyne:

• Stuff That’s Loud: A Teen’s Guide to Unspiraling When OCD Gets Noisy
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Clinician’s Guide for Supporting Parents
• The Joy of Parenting: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Guide to Effective Parenting in the Early Years

Learn more about Dr. Coyne.

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