How to Prevent Anxiety from Derailing Your Leadership

As a leader, a strong desire to make an impact on the people and organizations I serve drives me. For the most part, I've been able to align my actions with this motivation. However, I also struggle with generalized anxiety, a condition that extends far beyond the occasional worry that surfaces in response to specific life challenges.

Generalized anxiety manifests as persistent, excessive, and uncontrollable worry about various areas of life, including work, health, relationships, and day-to-day tasks. Unlike more typical forms of anxiety that come and go with specific events, generalized anxiety tends to persist, often without a clear cause, and the level of worry is disproportionate to the actual situation. This condition has ranged from distracting to completely debilitating at times, interfering with my daily functioning, relationships, and overall performance.

At its worst, my anxiety caused me to overthink every interaction, regardless of whether the outcome was positive or negative. I would become indecisive and irritable—behaviors that began to strain my professional relationships. Recognizing how my anxiety was taking a toll on both my personal and professional life motivated me to seek better management strategies.

Acknowledging Anxiety Without Self-Judgment

My first step was acknowledging that my anxiety was a problem and accepting how it affected me—without self-criticism. I shifted from seeing anxiety as a personal weakness to viewing it as a challenge that many leaders face. This acceptance allowed me to explore ways to manage it, free from the pressure of feeling like I was failing as a leader.

Steps for Managing Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety differently, and what works for one person might not work for another. Still, I want to share the strategies I've developed in the hope that they inspire you to think about how you might manage your own anxiety should you face it.

Step 1: Identify Your Triggers

To manage my anxiety, I first had to identify the triggers that set it off. Was it deadlines? High-stakes decisions? Public speaking or conflict? By understanding the circumstances that triggered my anxiety, I became better equipped to develop strategies to address or even prevent it.

Here are some of the triggers I identified:

• Lack of sleep: Sleep deprivation made me more prone to the adverse effects of generalized anxiety, such as obsessive thoughts, irritability, and difficulty making decisions promptly.
• Overcommitting: I have consistently overestimated how much I could accomplish, believing that because the issues I tackled were necessary, no effort was too much. This feeling that my work is critical often overwhelms me, as everything feels urgent.
• Lack of control over outcomes: when I face situations where situations where I have little control, my anxiety is likely to spiral. When I couldn't influence or predict the result, my brain perceived it as a threat, activating the "fight or flight" response and leading to anxiety attacks.

Often, these triggers would create a vicious cycle. For example, when I felt out of control, I would overextend myself to try to regain that control, which led to sleep deprivation and worsened my anxiety. The key to managing my anxiety was breaking these cycles.

Step 2: Develop Strategies for Managing Anxiety

While I know my anxiety may never entirely go away, I've learned to manage it more effectively. Once I identified my triggers, I developed strategies to prevent the most severe bouts of anxiety.

Here are a few of the techniques that worked for me:

• Regain a sense of control by avoiding catastrophic thinking:
• I consciously try to stop myself when I spiral into worst-case scenarios. Instead of fixating on improbable outcomes, I practice redirecting my thoughts to more balanced, realistic expectations.
• Establish a routine:
• Exercise, sleep, and nutrition are the foundations of anxiety management. Regular physical activity reduces stress hormones, and consistent sleep and healthy eating help regulate my mood and energy. Establishing a daily routine—reading the news, exercising, preparing nutritious meals, and going to bed simultaneously—gives me a sense of control, even when my challenges are unpredictable.
• Set clear boundaries to avoid overload:
• Anxiety often brings a sense of urgency about everything. I now prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency, focusing on high-priority items first and setting realistic timelines for less critical work. Communicating these timelines helps prevent unnecessary pressure.
• Reflecting on emotions at the moment:

Although all of the approaches I’ve mentioned help me manage my anxiety, periodic self-reflection has proven to be the most impactful. By consistently checking in on my emotions throughout the day and across various situations, I’m more capable of regulating my anxiety before it spirals out of control. I cannot overstate the importance of this practice.

Final Thoughts: Managing Anxiety, Not Eliminating It

These are just a few strategies that have helped me manage my anxiety. If you suffer from anxiety, your triggers and solutions may be different from mine. However, the most important takeaway is this: You can manage anxiety. While it may never entirely disappear, it doesn't have to derail your life, your career, or your sense of purpose.

Take the time to recognize and address it. You're not alone in this journey, and with the right strategies, you can manage your anxiety and lead with excellence regardless of the circumstances.