Where does anxiety really come from?

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Vanessa Wiebel , One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

This week, I coached an entrepreneur—let’s call him Tim—on an issue many business owners struggle with.

He is constantly overwhelmed. He operates his business on a shoestring budget, yet wishes to expand his business. His time is crammed full of meetings and responsibilities.

And, he suffers from anxiety.

After all, wouldn’t you? This is his business, his livelihood. He’s responsible for keeping this organization running. Employees and their families rely on him to keep the company above water.
In an extraordinary moment of self-awareness, Tim realized he was micro managing his team.

After such a realization, he wondered… was he the real problem? Was he, himself, stifling his company and employees? Was it his habits and personality that was causing him to feel overwhelmed and anxious all the time?

He gathered his courage and entered into a coaching arrangement to learn how to manage not only his company, but himself.
Look deeper than simply “work stress” for the source of your anxiety. It’s likely coming from a surprising place.

Originally, Tim assumed he was having anxiety because there weren’t enough new clients walking through the door.

But, after some self-reflection (and gentle coaching), he slipped past his own stumbling blocks.

“I thought I was having anxiety due to not having enough new clients walk in. I realize now my stressed out state was caused by my own habits, my lack of time management and my micromanagement of team projects.”

Then, Tim went even further.

He recognized that when he felt the most overwhelmed, he would subconsciously give away his leadership role. He would choose the things that were causing him the most anxiety and assign them to employees.

But, by giving those assignments away so abruptly, his employees weren’t given any instruction or details on how to handle the material.

Needless to say, this left his employees confused. And as a result they had to request extra meetings with Tim—more than he could handle, which led to more anxiety and stress—before they could adequately complete their own work.
Initially Tim had the attitude that, “They should know already. This is what they were hired for!”

This a classic assumption of busy, overworked employers. Tim is not alone in making these assumptions. Many small business owners make this costly mistake.

If you choose to hire employees, then you are choosing to work as a team. Your business may still be your baby, but you must entrust others to care and nurture it as well.

Once Tim accepted his leadership role, and his responsibilities inside of that role, he knew what his company needed to flourish.

Leave your F-minus and go for success .

Through the coaching process, we created a draft and layout for a “Handling Procedure Plan.” Tim and his employees now know the procedure when they get new clients. They are all aware of the reports he must provide to the team, the results he expects from his employees, and how to keep the pulse of the business beating.
At the end, Tim leaned back and felt enormously satisfied. “Thanks to making a concrete plan for my company’s weekly handling meetings, I now have the time to get new clients on board. And…I got a bonus from coaching that I didn’t expect. It took my headaches away too!”
Anxiety can harm you. Identifying its source will set your mind and body free.

Anxiety in the workplace is not just detrimental for your business. It is harmful for your physical health, the happiness and satisfaction you feel away from work, your sleep habits, and is probably impacting your family life.

If you suspect your anxiety stems from habits you’ve developed at work or in your life, why not reach out?
Coaching can elevate you to a new level of satisfaction.

And just like negative effects do, the positive effects of your new satisfaction will permeate throughout your life as well.

I believe if you can eliminate, or at the very least, reduce, the anxiety and stress you have at work, you’ll feel better in your life. You’ll be happier, healthier, more energized, and more engaged in the world around you.
Still not sure? Here’s a challenge and invitation.

Get out a sheet of paper and a timer. Set it for 3 minutes and challenge yourself to identify your anxiety. Write down what bothers you, what keeps you up at night, what churns your stomach, makes you nervous, or entices fear.

Then, when the time is up. Take a look at what you wrote. Where does the source of that anxiety come from?

When you find out the root, then, we can act on it. If you have trouble contact me and I find a way to get you going again though coaching.