What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD?

The term ‘GAD’ is defined as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, this is a very common mental disorder characterized by excessive, difficult-to-control, and often irrational, worry about any or every activity. The worry is persistent and typically encompasses different areas of life including work, health, finance, families, and relationships. Patients have a hard time with daily tasks, and often present with psychological and physical symptoms, such as restlessness, muscle tension, digestive, headache, and sleep disturbances. If you are searching for the “Best psychologist near me” connect with India’s No. 1 Online Counselling Mental Health platform TalktoAngel

The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder in the workplace

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include both psychological and physical symptoms. These symptoms may include:

• Avoiding friends and family
• Constant anxiety
• Crying spells, or mood swings
• Irritability, tiredness, fatigue, or tension?
• Feeling the need to be flawless
• Having difficulty sleeping
• Difficulties concentrating or remembering things
• Loss of enthusiasm for your work
• Eating excessively or insufficiently

What causes anxiety in the workplace?

The development of GAD is likely due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as significant life changes or traumatic events. Women are somewhat more affected than men. Other risk factors include a lower level of education, chronic illness, and other mental disorders.

"Disorders that are characterized by more aggressive, often causing severe, and persistent feelings of fear, uneasiness, and afraid or fear with colleagues and superiors. The top management may be completely ignorant that someone they work with is experiencing anxiety or has an anxiety disorder but noticed certain  challenges like:

• A decrease in performance
• Excessive absences from work
• Not appearing to be working, or frequently leaves
• Physical complaints such as excessive sweating, upset stomach, and difficulty sleeping (without another explanation)
• Poor job productivity
• Other situations that might make you anxious include:
• Dealing with issues at work
• Difficulties in Giving presentations
• Keeping up with personal relationships
• Meetings, staff lunches, and office parties
• Meeting and setting deadlines
• speaking up during meetings

Diagnosis of GAD- Criteria;

Diagnosis of GAD is challenging. Patients must be tested to rule out other medical conditions, psychiatric disorders, or the use of substances that may produce similar symptoms. Diagnostic criteria include-

• Excessive anxiety occurring for more than half of the time, and ongoing for at least 6 months
• The anxiety is difficult to control and is associated with at least 3 of the following symptoms
• Symptoms are not due to other conditions or substance use

How to manage anxiety at the workplace?

There are ways to manage workplace anxiety.

1. Develop self-awareness.

It's critical to figure out what's causing your anxiety or exacerbating the symptoms of your condition. Even if the source of your anxiety is something you can't change, such as having more work than you can handle, knowing what's causing it can help you figure out what to do next.

2. Express your emotions

It may be beneficial to speak with a trusted coworker who can understand and sympathize with your anxiety. If you don't have a trusted coworker, talk to a friend, family member, or mental health professional. Talking about anxiety with the right person can help you process these intense emotions and provide coping strategies.

3. Accept anxiety

The more powerful it can become. Workplace anxiety happens to everyone. But for those who experience it regularly, it’s not something you should push aside or ignore.

Treatment

Treatment is most effective when combining lifestyle changes, psychotherapy or Online Counselling of employees or family members counseling or both, and medications if anxiety is not able to control and hampering sleep, resulting in self-harm or self-injurious behavior or harming others, to know more about why people do self-harm read an article. You may also take self-care tips, and programs, and consult with the Best Clinical Psychologist in India who shall help you with cognitive behavior therapy or another form of therapy.

Lifestyle recommendations include identifying and removing possible triggers, eating healthy, participating in relaxation techniques, improving sleep, and doing exercises.

Medications include-

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety agents consult with the best psychiatrist to take medication. If you are looking for “who is the best psychiatrist near me” feel free to connect with TalktoAngel an Online Counselling platform for your mental health concerns.

What is the Role of Management in Corporate Wellness

The GAD at the workplace is nowadays better managed in organizations due to the proactive role of HR in enhancing employees’ well-being, and happiness. Many organizations have very compassionate and resilient leadership, who is always working towards better engagement of employees, family, and community in overcoming stress, and anxiety and thereby improving productivity. It's evident from research that 1$ spent on employee wellbeing gives a return of more than 40 times increases in productivity. Accordingly, more and more organizations are banking upon TalktoAngel for Employees Assistance Program or workplace counseling. The most common benefits are:

• Increase productivity and performance
• Improve the company's culture
• More job satisfaction
• Better Health
• Better teamwork
• Increased happiness of employees and family.

You can learn more about the benefits of workplace counseling at TalktoAngel.

If you are in the HR department or senior leadership feel free to contact the corporate wellness team of TalktoAngel who shall be more than happy to work with you in improving the overall happiness and increased productivity of your organization.