What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety and fear are normal human emotions that help to protect us from danger. We all feel anxious or fearful at times. But if someone has intense, excessive and persistent worries and fears about everyday situations, they may have an anxiety disorder. People with anxiety disorders may have difficulty controlling these feelings and going about their daily lives, and the worries and fears are often not proportionate to the actual danger. There are several types of anxiety disorders. Here are the four main types:
- generalised anxiety disorder: excessive worry about activities or events, even ordinary or routine ones
- social anxiety disorder (social phobia): fear and anxiety about social situations
- specific phobias: major anxiety triggered by a specific object or situation and a desire to avoid it. Examples include claustrophobia (a fear of enclosed spaces) and cynophobia (a fear of dogs)
- panic disorder: repeated episodes of panic attacks.
The prevalence of anxiety in men
The rate of anxiety disorders among Australian men is high, with around 13% of men reporting an anxiety-related disorder. This is lower than the rate among women (approximately 21%). However, it is likely that anxiety in men is underreported, given that men are less likely than women to talk about their mental health and seek help. Concerningly, men account for over three-quarters of the people who die by suicide.
The impact of gender norms
Men, regardless of their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation, might recall a time when they expressed vulnerability and were ignored or worse, made to feel weak. While attitudes may be slowly changing, traditional notions – in various cultures – of what it means to be a man have encouraged men to believe they must always be strong, assertive, ambitious, independent, self-reliant and in control.
These traditional gender stereotypes stigmatise men showing emotions or discussing feelings of anxiety, sadness or stress. Reflecting on their emotions may actually induce anxiety for men, as they realise that their inner state does not match society’s definition of masculinity. Adding to their mental health challenges, men may also not recognise the signs that they are struggling because they have been socially conditioned to believe that men should be able to cope with stress.
Men and work anxiety
Work can be a major source of stress for men. Traditional gender roles demand that men are the breadwinners for their families. Many heterosexual men continue to feel the economic burden in their relationships, despite women’s economic empowerment and changing societal norms regarding gender roles. For this reason, men may feel considerable work anxiety if they are in precarious employment or experiencing stagnation in their careers.
The other sources of work anxiety are not unique to men but can nonetheless have a considerable impact on their mental health. Highly demanding work, an excessive workload, long working hours, inadequate resources, poor communication and a lack of control over the working environment are all factors that can induce anxiety in men.
How to tell if your male employees are experiencing anxiety at work
The signs of anxiety can sometimes be different for men and women. For example, men may express their underlying anxiety through anger or irritability. Here are some other signs of anxiety to look out for in your male employees:
- difficulty focusing on tasks
- expressing feelings of dread
- constantly worrying about what might go wrong
- being excessively cautious about danger
- describing catastrophic thoughts
- being absent-minded
- having a fear of losing control
- withdrawing from social activities.
How managers can help
Creating a psychologically safe work environment where everyone, regardless of their gender, feels comfortable expressing vulnerability, is one of the most effective ways to reduce work anxiety and boost your employees’ mental health. For men, who are typically more reluctant to openly discuss their emotions, psychological safety at work can have a particularly positive impact.
Here are some ways you can create such an environment and help your male employees who are struggling with work anxiety.
Consider male intersectionality
Even men from vastly different backgrounds may have some shared experiences. However, it is important to acknowledge that men’s issues regarding mental health can vary considerably depending on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. Being aware of intersectionality can allow you to tailor your support to the specific challenges that different men face. An inclusive approach to men’s mental health can help all of your male employees to feel well-supported, regardless of their background.
Lead by example
Particularly if you are a male manager, showing vulnerability can encourage your male employees to open up about their mental health. Consider holding one-on-one meetings in which you share how your work challenges have impacted your emotional state and your life generally, and then make room for employees to share what they have been going through. If it is relevant, you could discuss how seeking help from mental health professionals has helped you. This can help to remove the stigma about men asking for help.
It is a good idea to have this conversation in a more relaxed and informal setting away from others. This may help to put your employee at ease and encourage them to open up honestly.
Reframe help-seeking
Societal norms that say men should be strong and self-reliant can often prevent men from asking for help. Seeking professional help for your mental health can be seen as an admission of failure and weakness. You can help to change this perception by talking about help-seeking as a sign of strength and leadership competence.
When the opportunity arises, consider making your team members aware that you actively encourage them to seek support if they are struggling. Let them know you see this as a sign that they are committed to helping themselves to reach their full potential. You could also discuss your own experiences with seeking help and reflect on how it impacted you. For example, perhaps it made you better at helping others, or it allowed you to become a more empathetic and compassionate manager.
Encourage self-care
Men typically do not prioritise self-care, but even small acts of self-care throughout the working day can have a big impact on reducing work anxiety and improving overall mental health. You can encourage self-care by letting your male employees know that it is okay to take short mental health breaks to breathe, walk or even just get a snack. Also, consider sharing resources on breathing practices, meditation and mindfulness.
Reconsider your word choices
Using words like ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ in your conversations with your male employees about how they are going at work may cause them to detach from the conversation. This is because these words may threaten their masculine identity, potentially provoking anxiety.
Tweaking your language could encourage men to be more receptive to discussing their mental health. Instead of saying ‘dealing with stress or anxiety’, you could say ‘recovering from burnout’ or ‘developing mental resilience and strength’. By changing the words you use to describe mental health, you can reframe the issue in a more positive light. In fact, this can be helpful not only for men, but for people of all gender identities.
Final thoughts
The tips in this article can go a long way towards helping your male employees to cope with their anxiety, but they are not a silver bullet. Talking about mental health is difficult for anyone. For most men, however, it is especially difficult due to deeply ingrained cultural norms that say men should always soldier on and not talk about their feelings. Especially for older men, it can be very challenging to change this mindset. But, as a manager, you have the opportunity to be part of the change by creating a safe space for men to talk openly and honestly about their struggles with mental health, without feeling that they need to give up their masculine identity.
