Experiencing an anxiety spike at work can be extremely disorienting. There’s a rush of tightness, racing thoughts, and the urge to be reactive. The good news is that it is possible to break this cycle with simple, effective steps that help restore clarity and choice. Below are 5 clinically practical actions that you can use when anxiety tries to knock you off kilter next time:
- Change Your Internal Dialogue
If there’s one immediate way to tackle anxiety, it is the narrative in your head! Avoid sentences like “This is driving me crazy” or “I can’t do this.” Instead, referame with short, positive statements like “I have coping abilities”, “I have done this before, I will manage this too” or simply, “I am capable. I can”. You may silently repeat a sentence for 30-60 seconds. This is because words mould our attention, and changing language reduces the sympathetic load on your system and opens up space for problem-solving, not catastrophising. - Switch to Micro-Tasking, Embrace Slowness
Stuck with a long to-do list that feels overwhelming? Take a step back, break down the work into bite-sized tasks, no more than 1 to 3 actionable steps. Make sure you tick the list as you go; partial progress also lowers perceived load and can help reduce stress in the moment. Even if you are unable to finish the entire list today, slot the pending items into a short sprint slot tomorrow. The key here is to acknowledge what you were able to complete. Self-acknowledgment is good for resilience and interrupts patterns of perfectionism that spike anxiety further. - Take Breaks, Schedule “Me Time”
Be intentional about rest, even in the thick of work. Pause for a short activity that truly recharges you. It could be a power nap (if you’re working from home), a 10-minute walk, a funny video, or a few minutes of reading. The goal is not to be productive, but to indulge in activities that restore your mood. Think of these micro-resets as cognitive control reboots, these will help improve decision making and task completion when you resume work. Make sure to slot these breaks in your work schedule, think of them as non-negotiables in your to-do list. - Breathe, Slowly With Intention
Whether you’re sitting or standing, take a pause, and breathe 5 to 9 full, conscious breaths. When you inhale, repeat (in your head) “I breathe in positivity and freshness. On the exhalation, say “I breathe out tension and negativity”. Focused breathing changes your nervous system state from reactivity towards regulation, slows down heart rate, and clears out mental chatter. Pay attention to the sensation of your breath at the nostrils, or the rise and fall of your belly; this helps to anchor attention and interrupts rumination. - Build a Meditation Practice, However Short
Meditation is a great stabiliser to tackle anxiety. You don’t need to sit for hours, a few minutes daily is ample to strengthen attention, lower baseline reactivity, and enhance emotional clarity. Pick from a style that suits your life, guided meditation, body scan meditation, or a short visualisation, and get consistent with it. Over time, meditation will reduce the intensity and frequency of workplace anxiety spikes and make other on-the-spot strategies (like those mentioned above) all the more effective.
An anxiety spike is not a measure of you failing at work; it is, in fact, a sign to handle things a little differently. By practicing these five steps until they become automatic, you will be able to ground yourself at work, easily and effectively. These are practical, repeatable skills that put the choice back in your hands and bring calm in the middle of a busy workday.
