How to keep away from anxiety and depression in corporate life: Harish C. Rijhwani

Every now and then, you will face an unavoidable situation at your workplace which can make you feel anxious.

For example, it could be meeting a difficult customer, your demanding boss, an appraisal discussion, or a personal matter lingering in your mind.

Any of these situations can make you feel uneasy, sad, and isolated, and if left unattended, could lead to depression.

In reality, one will always face difficult, unexpected, or uncomfortable situations in the corporate world. The question is about staying away from anxiety and depression.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate:

One of the best ways to avoid anxiety is to open up and speak about your challenges with someone you trust. Sharing your issues can help you calm your mind, and you can focus on identifying an effective solution to your problem.

Create Me Time:

Make it a point to take some time off from work. As much as possible, avoid work emails/chats/meetings on weekends and after work, and focus on creating some time for yourself.

Prepare Well:

If you are anxious about a client meeting, prepare well because that will give you confidence. Focus on building a rapport with the client to help reduce anxiety.

Exercise:

Exercise is a proven way to reduce anxiety. Even a daily thirty-minute walk can go a long way in helping you relax.

Yoga/Meditation:

Yoga has a beautiful guided meditation technique called Yoga Nidra, which can help your mind and body relax in thirty minutes. Other than this, regular Yoga can help reduce anxiety.

Learn a new Skill:

Learning a new skill can help your mind to become more creative. When I say new skill, I mean something outside of work, like Music, Dancing, Singing, or even a new sport like Skating.

Sleep well:

One of the drawbacks of working in the IT world is waking up and sleeping at odd times. A disturbed sleep cycle can make you anxious and result in an irregular heart rate. So, make it a point to get enough sleep.

Be Assertive:

In the corporate world, especially in offshore IT companies, we often don’t think twice; we just say “Yes” and take on additional work.

So one needs to be assertive; in other words, we need to say “No” in a nice way because, as Indians, we feel anxious about what the other person might think if we say “No.”

Eat Healthy foods:

“Health is Wealth” is an age-old saying but very apt today. In the short term, if you put your work above your health, you might get a pat on your back from your manager the next day, but it will affect you in the long run. So, focus on eating on time and eating healthy foods.

Drink Healthy:

Caffeinated drinks can increase anxiety, so choose healthier options like Coconut water.

Team Building/Fun Activities:

If you are a manager, leading a team, or even a team member, plan a few days in the month for fun/group activities.

Rewards and Recognition:

In the corporate world, we often hear/say we don’t receive enough recognition from the Human Resources team.

Recognition need not always mean a monetary benefit, but it can be a simple appreciation email from a manager or colleague.

As a manager, one needs to recognize the efforts of your team members and constantly communicate with them.

Overall, one needs to focus on reducing anxiety because if that remains unattended, it can lead to depression.

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