Harmless habit at work can be a sign of anxiety symptoms

Sand you constantly postpone the tasks you propose in your work, so this may be a sign that your nervous system is in alert mode. 

As a HuffPost article highlights, procrastination at work can be seen as lazy, but this habit is actually one of the most common forms of work-related anxiety.

“The public is probably not aware of the role or extent the nervous system plays in everyday life and how well-being influences,” noted psychotherapist Cathy Ranieri.

“In the workplace, when we feel overwhelmed, exhausted or nervous about it, the nervous system reacts, perceiving this as a potential threat to our safety. For some people, this triggers the fight or escape response. For others, especially at work, it leads to a freezing response: procrastination”. 

Procrastination is one of the least spoken anxiety symptoms, since it is seen as a choice and not a consequence of something deeper. However, many cases of procrastination can be essentially a way of avoiding important tasks. 

Experts note that behavior is not useful. Postponing an email may even seem harmless, however, as amis avoids its tasks, anxiety increases. “Anxiety feeds procrastination by creating a ‘fugue’ response,” notes Jordan White, an anxiety specialist in adults. 

“ An anxious person feels the need to avoid the subject or the task, because concluding it or even initiating it creates a concern”. 

This is the usual way the brain has to react when it's under stress. When you get very anxious at work, procrastination may be the way your body finds to survive a threat. 

“ When responsibilities accumulate, the deadlines are approaching and expectations are overwhelming, procrastination becomes part of the automatic response to the identified threat,” notes Ranieri. “In the state of freezing, the body tries to conserve energy to survive the threat and that is why it often seems impossible to carry out the tasks,” he adds.

Tips for dealing with anxiety and procrastination at work

1. Make a weekly calendar

Plan your days to know exactly what you need to do. 

2. Take a break

It's important to breathe between projects. It takes a few minutes to come back with a renewed perspective. 

3. Start with the simplest task

Starting with a simple task can be the impulse you need to move on to the hardest ones. 

4. Or, if you prefer, do the hardest first

“ Another way to avoid procrastination is to first complete the task you want to avoid,” White said. 

5. Be kind to yourself

If you procrastinate, don't blame yourself. It is necessary to be attentive to thoughts such as ‘I am lazy’ or ‘I am worth nothing’, because these self-criticisms maintain the state of threat.