Dealing with Workplace Anxiety: At Home and In-Person

As businesses are beginning to reopen all across the nation, some of us are ready to get up and go while the rest of us are feeling angsty going back to our normal lives. 

With most workplaces using platforms like Zoom or Google Hangouts to conduct conference calls, this can bring a bout of anxiety before the next meeting. Prolonged eye contact. Enlarged faces. The unnatural rhythm of talking to someone through a screen. “What did they really mean by that?” Yet, socializing at the workplace in person doesn’t feel any easier either. Seemingly endless silences. Awkward transitions. Why did I just say that? And the loss of comfort from doing work in our own homes. 

Whether you fall into the former, the latter, or somewhere in between, we have found three simple tips for you to feel more confident going into your next meeting, in-person or not. 

1. Have a basic outline of what you want to say
   
   - Don’t feel pressured to fill in the gaps. Just say what you need to say and let the conversation lead itself.
   - Some outline ideas are: bullet point lists, numbered lists, flowcharts, and bubble maps. 
   
   
2. “Find your best voice.”
   
   - Here’s a short speech exercise by speech pathologist Jackie Gartner-Schmidt that you can do in just a couple of minutes. Being able to have a strong, projecting voice begins with relaxed vocal folds and a steady breath. 
   
   
3. Look in the mirror and practice speaking to yourself.
   
   - Then when you’re ready, have someone listen to you speak. If you don't have someone readily available to listen to you speak, record a video of yourself and play it back. 
   
   
4. If you feel as though your social anxiety may be interfering with your everyday life, feel free to give us a call at 714-867-7037 or email us at info@americastms.com, so we can talk through this together.