Anxiety and Stress at Work: Causes, Solutions, and When Coaching Can Help
Why Anxiety and Stress at Work are Increasing
Anxiety and stress at work are increasingly common, especially among professionals juggling demanding careers and personal responsibilities.
Many people find themselves lying awake replaying conversations from the day or waking up with a knot in their stomach about the week ahead.
While workplace stress is often blamed on heavy workloads or difficult managers, the reality is more complex.
Many professionals I work with through coaching for anxiety at work initially assume their job is the only problem. However, the deeper causes often include a mix of external pressures and internal factors such as confidence, role fit, and expectations.
According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, work-related stress accounts for a significant proportion of sick leave across the UK workforce.
Anxiety and stress at work are far more common than most people admit - especially for professionals in midlife, who are often carrying the weight of responsibilities at work and at home.
At this stage in your career, the pressure to perform, stay relevant, and keep all the plates spinning can feel relentless. And while a little stress is good for you, when it becomes continuous and overwhelming it erodes confidence, energy, health, and even our sense of purpose.
There is a lot written about the external causes of anxiety and stress at work, such as excessive workloads and lack of control.
But the internal causes, such as a lack of fit with the role and feelings of underperformance, are just as important and are often overlooked.
The good news? These internal causes are more within your control to work on and resolve.
Finding a more “authentic” fit with work and improving self-confidence might be the most fundamental shift you can make for reducing anxiety and stress at work for good.
Signs You May Be Experiencing Anxiety and Stress at Work
Constant worry about work
You may find yourself replaying conversations, worrying about mistakes, or anticipating problems long before they happen.
Difficulty switching off after work
When anxiety is high, it becomes difficult to mentally disconnect from work.
Loss of confidence
People experiencing prolonged workplace stress often start doubting their abilities.
External Causes of Anxiety and Stress at Work
The external causes are what your job demands of you or does not provide - these are often outside your control, or at best can only be influenced.
They need system-level fixes - for example, better role design, leadership, policies, workload, or psychological safety. As such, they are the responsibility of the company to fix.
In my work as a career coach supporting professionals experiencing burnout and workplace anxiety, this distinction between external and internal causes comes up repeatedly.
Some examples of external causes of anxiety and stress are….
Heavy workload and constant pressure
Unmanageable workloads, unrealistic deadlines, constant urgency, and insufficient resources can all trigger heightened stress levels.
Lack of control or unclear expectations
Low autonomy, unclear expectations, shifting priorities, or a toxic work environment increase anxiety and stress.
Internal Causes of Anxiety and Stress at Work
Internal causes are often underestimated. They are less visible but no less damaging - shaping how you relate to your role and how capable you feel within it.
In some cases, this deeper misalignment can even lead people to question whether they need career change advice in order to find work that better fits their strengths and values.
Misalignment between values and your role
When your role doesn’t align with your values or fails to use your strengths, it can leave you uninspired, demotivated, and anxious. This loss of engagement is something many professionals also describe when they feel not motivated to work in midlife.
Self-doubt and perceived underperformance
Feeling under-skilled, lacking experience, or believing you’re underperforming - sometimes referred to as “imposter syndrome” - is another key driver of workplace anxiety.
Internal causes often get overlooked, and the result is that efforts made to reduce anxiety and stress are only partly successful.
How to Identify the Real Cause of Your Workplace Anxiety
Identifying the root causes of anxiety and stress at work is often the first step toward meaningful change.
Ask yourself:
Are your stressors internal or external?
Is the workload overwhelming, or is the issue that you feel underqualified?
Do you hate your job but feel trapped because you’re the main breadwinner?
Are boundaries and coping habits the missing link?
Clarity about the true source is the foundation for deciding whether to push for change in your current role, develop new coping strategies, or to transition to a better-fitting role.
Practical Ways to Reduce Anxiety and Stress at Work
External causes are typically the responsibility of the employer to fix. However, you can still take steps that improve your resilience, such as:
Talking openly with your line manager about workload or clarity.
Building stronger boundaries (saying no, disconnecting after work hours).
Prioritising self-care - healthy sleep, exercise, diet, and relaxation techniques.
If your anxiety becomes overwhelming, don’t hesitate to seek medical support from your GP or counselling.
Improve Confidence and Career Fit
Better coping habits are important but often insufficient if the root of your anxiety lies in role misalignment or self-perceived performance gaps. Unlike external causes, these are within your control.
Six practical ways to address internal drivers of anxiety and stress at work:
Clarify your values and assess alignment with your workplace.
Conduct a strengths assessment and compare it with your role.
Define your ideal role and non-negotiables.
Audit your skills - can you fill the gaps, or is a new role required?
Seek an objective perspective on your performance.
Work with a coach to navigate these questions and build confidence.
How Coaching for Anxiety at Work Can Help
Coaching for anxiety at work focuses on identifying the underlying drivers of stress and building practical strategies to address them. Unlike therapy, which often focuses on past experiences, coaching tends to focus on present challenges and future solutions.
For many professionals, coaching helps them:
clarify what is actually causing their anxiety
build confidence in their abilities
develop healthier boundaries
explore whether a different role or career direction would be better aligned with their strengths.
If you are wondering whether professional guidance might help, you may find it useful to read more about career transition coaching and whether it is worth it.
Example: Addressing anxiety through better role fit
For example, one professional I worked with believed their anxiety came from workload. However, deeper reflection revealed their role relied heavily on tasks that did not align with their strengths. After transitioning to a role better suited to their skills, their stress levels reduced dramatically.
FAQ: Anxiety and Stress at Work
What causes anxiety and stress at work?
Workplace anxiety can be caused by heavy workloads, unclear expectations, lack of control, toxic environments, or internal factors such as self-doubt and role misalignment.
How can I reduce anxiety at work?
Reducing anxiety often involves a combination of practical changes such as setting boundaries, improving coping habits, addressing confidence issues, and ensuring your role aligns with your strengths.
Can coaching help with anxiety at work?
Yes. Coaching can help identify the root causes of workplace anxiety and develop strategies to improve confidence, communication, and career alignment.
Want help working through the root causes of your anxiety and stress at work?
Book a free Discovery Call to build a plan for recovery and rediscover a fulfilling career.
Author: Tim Storrie
-------------- About the Author: Tim Storrie
Tim Storrie is an ICF-accredited career coach with an Oxbridge education, an MBA, and a corporate background. Having overcome his own burnout and career transition, he helps men over 40 who feel lost, burned out, or stuck to find clarity, confidence, and a career path that excites them.
Would you like to understand how career coaching can help you get clarity on a more fulfilling future?
Book a free Discovery Call at: https://www.timstorriecoaching.com/contact-me