Anxiety in the Workplace

I generally think of anxiety as this figure in the dark recesses of my mind. I'll have really good days where I'm on fire for projects and ready to do my best in the workplace, and then anxiety will come from the shadows as though to ask the question, "Remember me?"

Anxiety for me is something I just lived with for the longest time without realizing I had it (same goes for depression), by the time I did find out about it, my marriage was on the rocks and it may have led to a divorce if we hadn't gotten help. That's a story for another time.

Moving on from my initial assessment of anxiety/depression, I found myself taking antidepressants. As anyone who has faced this can tell you, finding the right combination of medications, or maybe just that one with the right dose, is hard. It took a while. While at first I was good and it only seemed to bother me at certain times, I was able to shrug it off because I worked a physical job. This helped release endorphins to do something medical to keep my chemical imbalance even.

When I stumbled across a job posting for a news reporter, I jumped on it despite not really believing I would get it. I had no college degree, I had not gone to journalism school, but I had a love and passion for writing. That's what they were looking for, so I was hired. I quickly realized it was more than I could handle at that time.

I was writing for the website, writing for the news anchors, shooting video, editing video, and conducting interviews for the story of the day. It was a lot. Make no mistake, I had received training by a very knowledgable and friendly, if a little hard, videographer. The thing is, I did enjoy it on some level and was good at it. But my mental state was not where it needed to be.

Within the news headquarters (which was two hours away from where I lived, putting me as the only reporter in the town from that particular station), was the producer who found out I had anxiety and still figuring it all out. Her daughter also dealt with it, so she knew what it was all about.

Here's the thing that shocked me: she was okay with me taking a break. If that meant going onto social media for a little bit, walking to the coffeeshop (took a walk or two to the ice cream place for sure), whatever it took for me to not let it get to me, I could do... as long as I got my work done. I accomplished my stories and did so very well.

What I'm writing about is for both employee and employer. For the employee dealing with anxiety/depression, speak up. If it is getting to you, let someone know. It sounds like you're giving an excuse but you're not. Mental illness is a real thing and if someone denies it, they're wrong not you. Own it and express it.

Employers: create an environment where your employees feel comfortable talking to you about this stuff. It gets difficult because you're trying to make a profit and build a business, but don't forget those who are working for you. The best way to drive away good people is to treat them like they're subpar, like they can be easily replaced or just a cog in the wheel. Realize mental illness is real and let your employees know you have their back.