USNEWS：如何应对工作焦虑？

There are a number of ways in which anxiety can help boost rather than hinder a worker’s job performance, says Julie McCarthy, a co-author of the study. She’s a management professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, which is also in Toronto. Anxiety can help both people who are disposed to be worriers and employees whose anxiety is triggered by a specific situation, she says. For instance, an employee who’s disposed to feeling anxious is up for a big work promotion and has moderate, but not extreme levels of anxiety. “These moderate levels can help focus the employee and increase his goal-directed self-regulation (your ability to regulate your thoughts, feelings and behaviors in order to reach your goals),” McCarthy says. “The employee is more likely to focus on task-relevant behaviors and avoid task-irrelevant ones.” Similarly, an employee whose anxiety is prompted by a specific situation can be motivated to her optimal performance, McCarthy says. For example, a worker who’s scheduled to deliver an important speech to a group of colleagues feels moderately anxious about the assignment, but she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. Instead, she “has heightened awareness in the manner in which (she) is projecting her voice, her body language and the interest and attention level of the listeners,” McCarthy says. “The increased awareness enables her to adjust her behaviors as needed to ensure maximum performance.”

Not all work-related anxiety is positive, says Colleen D. Cira, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder and executive director of the Cira Center for Behavioral Health in Chicago. Anxiety at higher levels can leave some people feeling overwhelmed by their work tasks, to the point they freeze, Cira says. “Their sense of doing assignments in a timely manner, focus and attention to detail go away,” she says. “Some people feel paralyzed because they feel they have too much to do. They might procrastinate or rush through their assignment, not paying the proper amount of attention to detail to their work.”

Here’s how to manage work-related stress:

1. Check in With Yourself Regularly

Some people get so caught up with their daily responsibilities that they don’t consider whether the level of anxiety they feel is proportional to whatever situation they’re worried about, Cira says. Every time you stand up from your chair, get something to drink or take a short break, ask yourself: “How am I doing?” Cira suggests. “Am I stressed? Am I feeling overwhelmed?” Being aware that the times your anxiety level is spiking can alert you that it’s time to use stress-managing strategies.

2. Don’t Assume the Worst

It’s easy to focus on worst-case scenarios when you’re feeling anxious, but that’s not productive and usually not realistic, says Russell Morfitt, co-founder and chief psychology officer at Learn to Live, Inc., a Minneapolis-based firm that provides online services to help people with anxiety, insomnia and related issues. “We sometimes fall into the trap of planning for negative outcomes, and fail to consider how things may turn out well,” Morfitt says. For example, instead of anticipating you won’t have anything interesting to say during a job interview, imagine talking about a topic that reflects well on your experience and abilities.