What is Performance Anxiety at work?

Your boss tells you that you're going to take the lead on the presentation to the Board. Immediately, you start to sweat. Your heart races. You can't think. You spend nearly every moment thinking about the presentation, imagining the worst-case scenarios, trying to focus... but you can't. And when the moment comes... you can barely even breathe. What is happening to you?

Performance anxiety is typically something that we think that only athletes or performers struggle with, but it can happen to anyone who is required to do something outside of their comfort zone. It can be debilitating; ruining your self-esteem and your quality of life for days on end. Performance anxiety doesn't have to get in the way of your life. Continue reading for more information on what performance anxiety at work is and how to manage it.

What is performance anxiety?

Performance anxiety is a stress response to a required activity that we do not feel prepared to accomplish. While performance anxiety can be related to any assignment, it is typically experienced when the job requirement involves presenting or leading other people. A little bit of performance anxiety is normal whenever we try something new. But for some of us, the anxiety can become immobilizing.

Our limbic system uses stress responses to protect us from threats. When we are faced with something that we feel unprepared to do, our limbic system can interpret that as a threat to our safety. In addition, humans are hard-wired to want approval and acceptance from other humans. Because of this, we can experience particularly high levels of anxiety when we are faced with something that we aren't comfortable doing, and we may be judged by people who are watching.

Why does performance anxiety happen at work?

Performance anxiety can be intense at work due to the stakes involved. For many of us our job is our main source of income. Our means of survival. Even if we have other resources, our job is typically aligned with our goals for the future. For some of us, our job is part of our identity. When our limbic system perceives a threat to our survival, it uses stress responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn) to motivate us to respond to the threat. When we receive an assignment that is important to our career development or to keeping our job, our limbic system can see failure as a direct threat to our safety. As a result, we experience anxiety. Our brain literally sees this as life or death.

How to manage anxiety at work

When we get anxious, we tend to try to talk to our anxiety. "Get it together!" or "You got this!" The problem is, our limbic system - which is sending out the anxiety signal - is responding to sensory information - what we hear, smell, taste, feel, or see. Our limbic system also responds to what we visualize. It can't tell the difference between what we are seeing and what we are imagining. When we get caught up in imagining our worst-case scenario, the limbic system thinks the threat is real and that it's happening right now. So our anxiety continues to increase until it overtakes everything else. Talking ourselves out of it won't work. The way to manage anxiety is through preparation, practice, and present-moment awareness.

Preparation

Preparation seems obvious. You can't perform if you don't have a plan for what you will do and say. Preparation also helps the limbic system to see the assignment as less of a threat. When you prepare, you are increasing your confidence in your ability to complete the assignment. You are also imagining yourself completing the assignment without anxiety. When we create a plan and work on the plan, we naturally feel less anxious. We gain some control over the situation and our limbic system sees our images of success. Preparation makes the assignment less of a threat.

Practice

Practice makes perfect. Part of the reason for this is due to conditioning, muscle-memory, etc. Another reason is because when we practice, our limbic system experiences the assignment in a positive way. The more our limbic system experiences safety, the less it will see things as a threat. Whether it's writing drafts of a report, practicing a speech in front of a mirror, or mentally rehearsing a pitch while you are on a walk, our limbic system has a chance to repeatedly experience the threat resolving in a safe way. This reduces your anxiety.

Present-moment awareness

Present-moment awareness (sometimes called mindfulness) means that you are engaged fully in the present moment, without imagining scenarios from the past or in the future. Typically, we go through life pretty mindlessly. We are doing one thing but our thoughts are someplace else. Because our limbic system perceives what we are imagining as our reality, mindlessness and overthinking can increase anxiety. Present-moment awareness allows the limbic system to take a break from sending out stress signals. It allows us to see that we are completely safe in the present moment.

One of the easiest ways to engage in the present moment is to ask yourself these questions:

"Where am I? What am I doing? Am I safe right now?"

The answers to these questions should be very literal.

Where are you right now? Are you at home? In the office? Sitting outside?

What are you doing? You're reading this sentence.

Am I safe right now? Most likely the answer is yes. We are rarely under an actual life or death threat.

When you answer these questions, your limbic system is focused on the present moment. This will naturally reduce stress.

Another method for present-moment awareness is to notice something you find interesting. Maybe it is something you can see or hear. Notice what it looks like or how it sounds. Pay attention to it for a moment or two. This will also help your limbic system recognize that you are not currently in danger.

And remember, performance anxiety is related to how important the assignment is to you. It isn't an indication of how well you'll do at it.

If you're in Colorado and want to learn more about performance anxiety or are interested in learning how performance counseling can help you overcome obstacles, manage past trauma, and reach your goals, click on the contact button below to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. There's no obligation. Start today.