Panicking nine to five

Hiding in the bathroom, crying at your desk, struggling for breath. Here’s what to know about work-related anxiety – and what to do about it.

What to know about work-related anxiety. Plus, how to get into hospitality

Bella*, a 28-year-old marketing director, remembers the moment of overwhelming dread. “It was 10am on a Tuesday. I was looking at the clock and thinking there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day to get my work done when I started to lose my breath.”

She found an empty room and sat on the floor. “I felt as if I was suffocating, like my chest was going to snap in half. Everything felt detached from my body – my hands from my arms, my feet from my legs. After the longest eight minutes of my life, the sensation eased. I went back to my desk and told my colleague I had an allergic reaction.”

Welcome to the stress epidemic of workplace panic attacks. Studies suggests that 52% of us will have at least one in our lives, and according to a report in the South African Journal of Psychiatry, up to 23% of adult South Africans suffer from an anxiety disorder. If the average sufferer has one or two attacks per month, 438 000 panic attacks are happening every day in SA. And global stats suggest that one in three women will experience anxiety at some point in their careers.

You’ll relate to this if you’ve had to take time off work because of stress. We clock in long hours, multitask like crazy and put everything into our jobs. No wonder more of us are hyperventilating.

“I had three panic attacks at work before I told my partner and started seeing a therapist,” says Renee*, 32, a reporter. “I would go to the toilets to escape the office noise, but then

I’d break into a sweat, with a rash all over my arms. It was so scary.”

Like 46% of anxiety sufferers, music publicist Yoliswa*, 29, had panic attacks before she even got to work. “I’d be on the train, and my legs would suddenly go weak, my vision would blur and I’d start shaking. I’d grab hold of something to steady myself, but sometimes it was so bad that I felt as if I was dying, even if just for a few minutes. By the time I reached work, I’d be exhausted.”

This disturbing trend isn’t simply about disliking a job or colleague. “I’ve seen an increase in female clients who have panic attacks at work because of the pressure and competition, or the stress of juggling their jobs and personal lives,” says clinical psychologist Dr Abigael San.

The best way to deal with a panic attack is to feel it, not fight it.

Women are also more vulnerable to stress – 1.7% of men versus 3% of women will experience an attack in their lifetime. The good news, says Dr San, is that we’re “more likely to respond to the emotion and do something about it.” And regaining control starts with a deeper understanding of why intense panic strikes.

“First off, an anxiety attack is not a tantrum or dramatic meltdown. It’s a warning sign linked to our ‘fight or flight’ survival instinct.”

We’re psychologically wired to react to threats in the same way we would have responded to a sabre-toothed tiger in the caveman era. Only now, that threat is an 80-hour week, managing a tough boss, doing the work of several people because the office is under-resourced, or routinely feeling undervalued.

The best way to deal with a panic attack is to feel it, not fight it. “It sounds strange to be OK with a sensation of panic,” says Dr San. “But once you stop struggling against it, your body will restore itself.” In the long term, though, it’s about finding ways to manage the wider impact of workrelated anxiety. And if anxiety attacks are a warning sign, you need to work out what they’re trying to tell you.

“I suggest doing a thorough emotional inventory of your working life,” says psychologist Dr Francesca Moresi. “Keep a journal or list the components of your job that could be affecting you.” If the panic attacks recur and the anxiety doesn’t abate, consider cognitive behavioural therapy. Then, you can work with an expert on long-term coping strategies.

“I encourage my clients to imagine a safe space, such as their favourite beach or park, and we discuss the positive feelings they have there – relaxed, happy, comforted,” says Dr Moresi. “I tell them to go back to that place mentally when they start to feel panicky, and to imagine every last detail of that space.”

For Bella, exercise has been a huge help. “I’m training for a half-marathon, which makes me feel more in control of my body. Also, if I start feeling overwhelmed at work, I fire off a Whatsapp message to friends to get reassurance. It’s a small thing but the distraction helps. I’ve also started communicating more about my workload (my panic trigger) with my boss.”

Similarly, once Yoliswa recognised that the packed train activated her anxiety, she began taking an earlier train. “The headspace is worth getting up an hour earlier, as it gives me time to think calmly about the day ahead.”

And your workplace may be able to help. “I talked to my manager, and she’s worked with me on my time management, so I don’t feel bombarded,” says Renee. “At home, I do relaxing things, like knitting, having a bath or walking my dog. Simple things, but they help me recover.”

And that’s exactly the point: our work lives have taken over so much that we often forget the little things that restore us. So remind yourself and focus on people or activities outside work that keep you sane and happy – these will be your biggest coping strategies. And remember these words from Bella: “Feeling anxious at work can be lonely and scary, but it is possible to recover, to function – and to thrive.”

There’s always someone to help

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group offers information and support for all types of anxiety. For info, visit sadag.org or call their 24-hour helpline 080 021 2223. Also, find a registered psychotherapist.