My dirty secret? I almost want everyone experiencing workplace anxiety to just quit their job.
But that’s never going to happen. And honestly? That advice is useless when you’re carrying family expectations, visa requirements, or the reality that three months’ rent doesn’t just materialize because you’re having panic attacks before Monday morning meetings.
So let’s talk about what actually helps when leaving isn’t possible—and how to know if what you’re experiencing is something you can manage on your own, or something that needs professional support.
At Ashay Therapy, we work with BIPOC professionals who are navigating workplace trauma in environments that weren’t built for them. We specialize in first-generation pressure, discrimination, and the specific exhaustion that comes from proving you belong in spaces where you’re “the first” or “the only.”
We offer individual therapy, group support, and practical resources for sustainable careers. Book a free 20-minute consultation.
In This Blog:
Is This Normal Work Stress or Workplace Anxiety?
| Normal Stress | Workplace Trauma |
Increases with specific deadlines or projects, then decreases | Persists even in low-pressure moments |
| Responds to practical solutions like time management or delegation | Triggers physical symptoms (racing heart, insomnia, panic attacks) |
| Doesn’t follow you home consistently | Doesn’t improve with standard stress management techniques |
| Improves with rest and time off | Makes you avoid situations that objectively aren’t threatening |
Notice the word objectively in that table. That’s deliberate.
Because here’s what workplace anxiety does that normal stress doesn’t: It makes you doubt your own perception of reality.
After enough toxic experiences, you start wondering if you’re the common denominator. Maybe you’re not good at handling stress. Maybe you’re not resilient enough. Maybe everyone else manages fine, and you’re just fundamentally weak.
But think about it this way: If you broke your leg and it hurts to walk, you wouldn’t call yourself “not resilient enough for walking.” You’d recognize that your leg is broken and needs healing before walking can feel normal again. Your nervous system works the same way.
When it’s been injured by toxic work environments or other past situations that mimic the present one you are in, it needs time and support to heal, not just willpower and positive thinking.
Still not sure which category you’re in?
Nisha is an expert work stress therapist in Calgary, and stress management is her niche. Book a free 20-minute consultation with her to figure out what kind of support would actually help.
What Are The Causes of Workplace Anxiety?
Past toxic environments:
If your previous manager gaslit you, punished you for setting boundaries, or betrayed your trust, your brain stores that as critical survival data about all workplaces.
Even if the present job is treating you better, your nervous system still doesn’t distinguish between the job that hurt you and the one treating you better.
It only knows you’re back in an environment where you once had to survive. So even when the danger has passed, your body will still try to protect you.
Now, if you leave a psychologically unsafe workplace to find yourself in another one, your body is just going to be in a state of fight or flight.
Cultural and generational pressure: As first-generation professionals or eldest daughters, workplace stress is compounded by the added pressure of family expectations, proving your worth in professional spaces, and fearing that any mistake you make at work will confirm stereotypes.
Boundaries mean punishment: Of saying no previously cost you opportunities, relationships, and your nervous system learns to treat self-protection as a threat.
Your body needs new evidence, repeated over time, that boundaries are actually safe there and that process doesn’t happen overnight.
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Discrimination and harassment: Previous experiences of harassment or discrimination don’t evaporate when you change jobs.
They shape how you interpret every workplace interaction from now on.
How To Manage Anxiety At Your Current Job
Now, like I said, I would absolutely grow fewer gray hairs if everyone I come across could just throw off the jobs that’re giving them stress, but I also know that’s unrealistic. It may be from past experiences, or maybe presently you don’t have a lot of options, so grey hairs it is.
On the bright side, though, you can take some lessons to help you further understand how to navigate toxic work environments and grow yourself.
With that being said, here are five effective ways to manage anxiety at your job:
🫰🏾 Name What’s Happening
Write down triggers or patterns you’ve noticed and name the behavior.
Specifics like, “My boss interrupts me during meetings”) turns vague anxiety into concrete information.
🫰🏾 Rebuild Your Sense of Agency
Even if you can’t change the environment, you can change your participation in it. That might look like taking your full lunch break, using PTO, or saying “I’ll get back to you on that” instead of an immediate yes.
🫰🏾 Create Micro-Moments of Safety
Keep grounding items at your desk (stones, fidget tools, sensory textures). For our clients at Ashay therapy, I like to use peppermint essential oils for grounding, which you can find at Amazon. You can also use noise-canceling headphones or playlists that help regulate overstimulation.
Calgary Resources For Workplace Harassment & Discrimination
Another way to cope with anxiety in the workplace is to start seeing a way out of these feelings or out of the situation entirely.
Here are a few resources available to Calgary residents experiencing workplace stress.
From legal, financial, to career development opportunities, these resources ensure that you are well-equipped to deal with issues causing the anxiety you feel about work.
LEGAL
– Alberta Human Rights Commission: offers (free consultation on discrimination complaints, and you don’t need a lawyer to start.
– Calgary Legal Guidance: You can access free legal clinics for employment issues if you meet the income threshold
– Law Line by Legal Aid Alberta: offers a free 30-minute phone consultation with a lawyer 1-888-451-890
Your place of work may have EAP programs that provide you with career counselling for a limited number of sessions that are covered within your benefits.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES
– Immigrant Services Calgary: provides employment support specifically for newcomers, even if you’re already working.
– YWCA Calgary Career Development: anchors programs for women navigating career transitions.
–Momentum CoTmmunity Economic Development: provides financial coaching including sessions including emergency savings strategies
Above all, remember to document. Document dates, times, witnesses, exact words said, your response, and any emails or messages. Even if you’re not ready to take action, having documentation gives you options later.
Signs That You Need to See A Work Stress Therapist
Sometimes, no amount of coping tricks for work-related stress will calm a body that’s still in fight-or-flight.
With that said, here are common signs that you need to see a work stress therapist:
– Physical symptoms persist (panic attacks, insomnia, digestive issues)
– You’re avoiding objectively necessary work situations
– You’re using unhealthy coping mechanisms (excessive drinking, emotional eating, isolating)
– You’ve tried these practical steps for three months with no improvement
– Your relationships outside work are suffering
– You’re having thoughts of self-harm or feeling hopeless
What To Expect During Work Stress Therapy
– Understanding why your nervous system reacts the way it does
– Distinguishing between past danger and present reality
– Rebuilding self-esteem damaged by toxic environments
– Practicing boundary-setting in a supported environment
– Processing past experiences so they stop controlling present responses
– Developing an exit strategy that accounts for your mental health
You can’t “mindset” your way out of trauma. You can’t work harder to feel safe. What you can do is get strategic support to manage anxiety and workplace-related stress.
Ashay Therapy is serving clients in Calgary and across Canada. Book a free consultation to talk about your stress management.
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