5 Practical Ways to Feel Less Anxious in Your Career

By Tork Media

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5 Practical Ways to Feel Less Anxious in Your Career

You know the feeling: Sunday evenings roll around, and suddenly, anxiety starts creeping in, and what remains of your weekend is suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of dread about the upcoming week. 

Or maybe your stress peaks each morning when you log on, overwhelmed by unclear expectations or the feeling that you’re constantly trying to prove yourself. It’s exhausting, and you deserve better.

Career-related anxiety doesn’t always stem from workload alone. It’s often rooted in deeper emotional and psychological stressors like impostor syndrome or the pressure of feeling like you have to be “on” at all times. But here’s the reassuring truth: You’re not alone, and you’re certainly not stuck.

Here are five practical strategies to reduce anxiety in your career and regain clarity, confidence, and calm.

1. Clarify Your Job Expectations

Few things breed anxiety faster than uncertainty. If your responsibilities aren’t clearly defined, you might find yourself constantly worrying whether you’re meeting expectations. To combat this, take initiative and have an open conversation with your manager about your role.

Instead of quietly guessing what you’re supposed to be doing – or worse, guessing wrong – sit down and outline exactly what’s expected. Ask direct questions like:

• “What does success look like in my role?”

• “How will my performance be measured?”

• “Are there specific priorities you want me to focus on?”

This clarity positions you for greater confidence and professional success. You’ll know exactly where to invest your energy, and you’ll eliminate that constant feeling of second-guessing yourself.

2. Set Healthy Boundaries

When work feels overwhelming, it’s tempting to sacrifice your personal boundaries, but this only amplifies anxiety. Working late nights, answering emails at all hours, and constantly feeling “on call” are the things that almost always lead to burnout. Make sure you establish clear boundaries that separate work from personal time. This might require you to:

• Set specific working hours – and stick to them.

• Turn off notifications after hours, unless absolutely necessary.

• Clearly communicate your availability to your colleagues.

Remind yourself that protecting your boundaries isn’t selfish. Instead, start looking at it as a form of self-preservation. Your mental health benefits, and you become more productive and efficient during the hours you dedicate to work.

3. Reframe Your Relationship with Impostor Syndrome

Almost everyone experiences impostor syndrome. (That’s the nagging belief you feel well up inside of you sometimes that you’re not good enough and you’ll soon be found out.) But instead of viewing this anxiety as a reflection of your actual capabilities, reframe it as a sign of growth.

Imposter syndrome often emerges when you’re stretching beyond your comfort zone. That means you’re learning, challenging yourself, and becoming more skilled. Rather than let it paralyze you, acknowledge it as a normal feeling that accompanies growth.

Try keeping a record of your wins and achievements (even the small ones). When anxiety creeps in, review this evidence and remind yourself that you’re capable and have achieved things before…and you will again.

4. Explore EMDR Therapy as a Solution

Sometimes, anxiety at work is deeper than day-to-day stress. It can stem from past experiences, patterns of self-criticism, or deeper emotional wounds you’ve carried for years. Traditional talk therapy can help, but if you find yourself stuck or unable to move forward, it might be worth exploring other methods, like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

EMDR therapy is a unique therapeutic approach that helps your brain process and heal past experiences or traumas contributing to your current anxiety. Instead of relying solely on extensive conversations about your past, EMDR engages your brain’s natural healing mechanisms through guided eye movements or gentle sensory stimulation.

“Because EMDR therapy is believed to unfreeze your brain’s ability to process memories effectively, for some clients, change comes more quickly than just talking forever about it,” psychotherapist Andrew Kushnick explains. “My EMDR therapy clients and I continue to be amazed by this, again and again, as we see it work.”

If you’ve tried traditional therapy and still feel stuck, EMDR might offer the breakthrough you’ve been looking for. It could address underlying emotional triggers at the source, reducing your anxiety in pretty lasting and transformative ways.

5. Build Professional Confidence Through Micro-Goals

Career anxiety often comes from looking too far ahead and feeling daunted by huge, ambitious goals. Instead of overwhelming yourself with monumental expectations, break down your objectives into smaller, manageable steps.

Identify daily or weekly micro-goals. These are tasks you can realistically complete and clearly measure. As you achieve each one, your brain gets a positive reinforcement boost, gradually building professional confidence and reducing anxiety.

These goals could be as straightforward as completing a report, setting aside fifteen minutes daily to organize your workspace, or finally reaching out to a professional contact you’ve admired.

Giving Yourself  Compassion

It’s absolutely vital that you practice compassion and patience with yourself as you navigate career anxiety. You aren’t alone in these feelings, and experiencing anxiety doesn’t make you weak or incapable. It simply makes you human. As you embrace the ideas discussed above, don’t forget the importance of loving yourself.