As a manager, you have the power to make a huge difference in the lives of your employees. One of the most important things you can do is to support their mental health and well-being. Anxiety is a common struggle for many people, and it can have a big impact on their work and their overall happiness.

It's important to be aware of the signs that someone is struggling with anxiety, and to be there to offer guidance and support. In this post, we'll go over some practical tips for coaching an employee who is dealing with anxiety.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal human response to stress, but for some individuals, it can become excessive and interfere with their daily life. Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions that involve excessive worry or fear, and can affect an individual's ability to function in their personal and professional lives. There are several types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.

As a coach, I find the key to coaching an employee with anxiety, or speaking with anyone challenged by anxiety, is to understand how their specific anxiety manifests for them, how anxiety feels to them, their lived experience with anxiety etc. You don’t want to assume or generalize people’s experience, but rather, ask questions to gain understanding and clarity to better understand how to help that specific individual.

How to Recognize an Employee with Anxiety

If you suspect that one of your employees is struggling with anxiety, it's important to approach the situation with sensitivity and care. Some signs that an employee may have anxiety include:

Being easily overwhelmed or stressed
Avoiding social situations or public speaking
Having difficulty concentrating or completing tasks
Experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, or rapid heartbeat

As a best practice, I advise you to approach the employee in a private and non-judgmental manner to discuss their situation. It's important to create a safe and supportive space for the employee to feel comfortable discussing their anxiety. I have found asking employees for coffee or lunch or even a walk around the office area a nice way to remove the formality and stress of an office setting. Expressing a little vulnerability yourself is a great way to open the door for others to express their thoughts and feelings too.

Strategies for Coaching an Employee with Anxiety

Effective communication is key when coaching an employee with anxiety. Here are some techniques you can use to support your employee:

Active Listening: Listen carefully to your employee's concerns, and try to understand their perspective. Show empathy and validate their feelings. In coaching, this might be saying words like “I acknowledge your feelings”, “I can see how that is hard”, “I’ve experienced something similar so can imagine how you feel”. Remember, this isn’t about you, but using your own lived experiences as a way to bridge empathy and relation to what your employee is experiencing is a very authentic way to coach.

Encouraging Open Dialogue: Encourage your employee to share their concerns and struggles, and provide them with support and guidance. Regular check-ins can help build trust and rapport with your employee. Especially when you are busy, take the time- this matters. Often when we are at our busiest, we are often stressed.

In helping to manage my own anxiety, I have intentionally built in times on Monday and Friday during my work week to reflect and consider my emotions and feelings as they relate to work. What went well for me that week? What was hard? Who do I need to talk to or ask for help? These questions are good self-reflection starters that can help managers and employees dialogue around emotions and practical support.

Providing Regular Feedback: Providing constructive feedback and positive reinforcement can help boost your employee's confidence and sense of accomplishment. This can help reduce their anxiety and improve their performance. As a coach, I am always looking for ways to encourage and challenge my clients in continuing to do good things or tackling hard things that they want to work on and acknowledging them that even just sitting in the discomfort of that work is a win on its own.

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Accommodations for the Employee

If you are in a position to do so, making adjustments to the employee's workload or work environment can help reduce their anxiety. A great website for better understanding different workplace accommodations is https://askjan.org/. While geared toward providing guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues mostly for people with disabilities, there are loads of best practices you can use with all employee types including those with anxiety.

Some additional strategies include:

Adjusting workload: If the employee is feeling overwhelmed, consider reassigning tasks or adjusting their workload to help them better manage their workload. There is definitely a difference between being challenged at work and being buried in work. Be sure to stay attuned to how your employee perceives their situation. Healthy competition at work is good but it shouldn't be toxic.

Offering Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible work arrangements such as remote work or flexible schedules can help reduce the employee's stress levels and improve their productivity.

Providing Resources for Mental Health Support: Offer resources such as an employee assistance program (EAP) or counseling services to help the employee manage their anxiety.

Coaching Techniques To Use with an Employee with Anxiety

There are several coaching techniques you can use to support your employee with anxiety. I encourage you to create and set achievable goals with your employees and celebrate their accomplishments along the way. Be sure to do this together, in an equal partnership so the employee feels seen and validated in the creation of their own goals. This can help build their confidence, reduce their anxiety and build a sense of empowerment.

Secondly, breaking larger tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps to help your employee feel more in control and reduce their anxiety is a great next step in helping them grow in their professionalism and their ability to navigate work. Lastly, seeking out ways to create a supportive work environment can help reduce your employee's anxiety levels. This includes recognizing and celebrating their accomplishments and encouraging teamwork and collaboration at all levels of the team and organization.

As people, we do our best work when we are supported, comfortable and confident at work and are connected to the purpose of work- so help your employees get there in whatever ways makes most sense to them! And know this may change over time so it is important to continue this work and keep iterating on best practices, tips and tools to encourage success.

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Meet The Writer!

Hi! My name is Nadia Ibrahim-Taney and I help people design happy and fulfilling careers through authentic career coaching. My expertise includes career exploration guidance, resume writing, interview prep and LinkedIn profile optimization. My pronouns are She/ Her/ Hers and as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I focus on how diverse identities impact and influence folks holistically and professionally. Please connect with me on LinkedIn or at Nadia@beyonddiscoverycoaching.com

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How to Coach an Employee with Anxiety: Strategies for Supporting Your Team