There’s nothing to be afraid of... is there?

How fears and phobias affect us in the workplace, and what we can do about it.

Phobias are one of the most common types of anxiety disorder. It's estimated that around 10 million people in the UK have a phobia. Phobias, however, are not to be confused with fears.

A phobia is similar to a fear with one key difference: the anxiety that a person experiences is so strong that it interferes with their quality of life and/or ability to function.

Fear vs Phobia

How do you handle a phobia?

If it’s something you encounter fairly rarely – such as needles, bungee jumping, or a fear of clowns – it might not impact your life too much. But what do you do when what you’re afraid of is all too commonplace... and severe enough to affect your job choices? For one in three British workers, fears or phobias aren’t just an inconvenience, but a debilitating condition that can go so far as to stop them from pursuing their careers.

And the problem is we’re just not talking about it.

Only 2% of workers have ever spoken to their HR team about their fears, and as few as 7% have chosen to talk to their manager about issues they may be experiencing. Fears plague a majority of us, too. And whilst they may differ from phobias in terms of the level of intensity, they can still be extremely destructive.

Fears and Phobias

People with a fear: 93%. People with a phobia: 61%

More than a third would turn down their 'dream job'
More than a third would turn down their 'dream job'

The latest research conducted by Jobsite in conjunction with YouGov showed that out of the most commonly-held fears, public speaking comes top of the list – with 67%* of people reporting a fear of talking to a crowd. Many sufferers said they believed it had limited their career progression opportunities, because facing a round of interviews, boards, conferences and group presentations was simply too terrifying.

65% of people reported a fear of heights – with some saying it had stopped them accepting a job in a high-rise building. Understandable, when you consider you can’t play it cool five days of the working week if you can’t even go near a window.

For 37% of people, however, it was navigating social situations that gave them the greatest fear. Which is particularly tricky when you consider the number of everyday social events that are part and parcel of many worker’s lives: lunch, the Christmas party, ‘ice breaking’ exercises and ‘team away days’.

But that’s not all we’re dealing with. For 35% of respondents, a fear of enclosed spaces renders navigating the morning commute in lifts, taxis or the London Underground virtually impossible, while 33% of people with specific animal phobias admitted being left shaken by encounters with some of the most commonly feared creatures: spiders, mice, rats – even ‘office dogs’.

The problem is, when a fear or phobia is irrational – and just as unpredictable – it’s simply not helpful being told to put on a “stiff upper lip” – or to be reminded that “it can’t hurt you”. Because it is hurting us. The research shows that people with intense anxieties find career progression difficult, say their performance in interviews has been affected and struggle with pay-rise discussions. Some people have even reported having to take sick days off work to deal with the fall-out from their fear or phobia.

In what ways has your fear negatively impacted your career?

Impacts of fears

It’s clear that we need to be talking about what scares us, and by shining a light on these concerns, we hope to break down the barriers preventing so many of us from seeking help, or admitting we’ve got a problem in the first place. Perhaps then, we’d all feel less alone – and would be one step closer to progressing, fear-free, through our careers.

Beneath the surface

The Jobsite survey of 2,000 employees in Britain has revealed that beneath our cool exteriors, many of us are silently panicking, with potentially devastating consequences to our happiness, success and mental health.

1 in 3 employees believe their jobs have been impacted by fears or phobias but choose not to talk about it.

The study asked people to respond to 12 different fears or situations, and found that 50% of people with a phobia have avoided applying for certain jobs. Moreover, a whopping 52% of people with a phobia say they would likely reject a job offer if it involved them having to face their fears. And while five key phobias – public speaking, heights, social situations, enclosed spaces and animals – came out on top, a significant percentage of British workers reported other fears, ranging from crowds, to needles, flying on an aeroplane, blood, public transport and open spaces.

And in a sign that our use of technology may be affecting our social and professional behaviours, the survey revealed that those under the age of 35 were almost three times as likely as those over the age of 55 to fear engaging in a phone conversation with a stranger.

Fear of speaking on the phone

Fear of using the phone

We spoke to five anonymous employees to find out more about how their fear or phobia has affected their lives – and careers.

Public speaking
Public speaking
Public speaking

Dan, 38
Dentist

I was very shy as a child and had terrible stage fright. I’m still the same in interview situations – a gibbering wreck. Doing dentistry was my 'cure', as I was going to freak out a lot of my patients if I didn’t sort it out. It helped me desensitise by talking to lots of different people all the time. I actually gave a university lecture this week, and didn’t cry – which is a huge step for me.

By now, I have half-overcome my phobia of public speaking. It’s still uncomfortable for me, but I can do it. I need to be well-prepared and know what I'm talking about or I can crumble quickly. I have to pre-programme my body language and voice to sound more confident than I am – but I worry it’s not always that convincing.

I used to hate that I couldn’t sell myself well and missed a few opportunities. But now I’ve accepted nobody is perfect at everything.

Presenting lectures triggers me most. Bizarrely, I can speak eloquently at staff meetings when we are all contributing, but if all eyes are on me I panic and can’t string my thoughts together. But because I appear calm and collected in small groups, I am often put forward for public-facing things – and I hate it!

39% of people suffering from a fear of public speaking say their performance in interviews has been affected

I am terrible at interviews. I was once told they only employed me because they knew me. My heart races, and so does my brain. I can’t shut off my thoughts. I get sweaty and start to muddle my words. I can’t make eye contact and I get a stupid nose tick that makes me look like a rabbit!

My advice would be to try CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). I’ve learned that so much of my fear is the narrative I’m telling myself – that I’m going to make a fool of myself. I also practiced speaking on the phone, to patients and people I didn’t know. I ‘faked it’ until it came naturally.

Heights
Heights
Heights

Kate, 56
Stage manager

I have a horrible fear of heights – though I do tend to say that it's falling from a great height and smacking into the ground I'm afraid of, so, technically, I'm afraid of the ground!

The type I have means I feel compelled to jump. I am hypnotised towards the edge. Even going up an escalator that has a drop on either side is scary for me. My heart races but my breathing slows and sounds become very muffled and distant. Sometimes there’s nausea, but not always.

6% of people suffering from a fear of heights say they had to quit their job

In the early 1980s I was an assistant stage manager at a local theatre. Part of the job included general maintenance of the building and setting up. For me, the hardest part was when I had to climb a ladder or a tallescope – which is like a ladder on wheels.

I had to climb the scope, undo the light from the grid, tie it to a length of rope and lower it to other crew members. Then they’d wheel me to the next light. I shook so much my fingers could barely fashion a strong enough knot to hold the light.

The whole tallescope vibrated because of the shaking in my body. It was unsafe for me to do that part of the job.

I hated not being able to do it – it’s difficult enough being female in that kind of job where there’s lots of heavy lifting, without having to be excused from a particular task because of a phobia.

Sadly, I have never overcome the phobia. I tried to lie to myself – to trick my brain – but it just doesn’t work that way. It meant I missed out on some fun on holidays with my kids when they were young. And I can’t go to the theatre.

I avoid situations I can’t handle. If I have to be up high, I stand well away from the edge, ideally with my back against a wall. Having something solid to hold onto helps.

Social situations
Social situations
Social situations

Dee, 37
Civil servant

I have extreme anxiety and panic before I leave the house to meet people in a group more than two. I struggle to breathe, my chest gets tight and my hands shake. I normally have to take medication to get me out the house.

I find the bathroom wherever I go, and sit there for 10 to 15 minutes trying to breathe deeply and make myself calm before I can enter the group. The first hour is always terrifying.

It’s totally irrational. Whether it’s family, close friends or colleagues – the fear is the same. It has stopped me attending big events, family get-togethers and work nights out.

As yet, I haven't conquered the phobia, although I have developed much more of an understanding on how to manage it. Before going out I take medication to alleviate palpitations and I practice anxiety-related exercises such as 'five things': where you focus on five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

26% of people with a fear of social situations say they would likely reject a job offer if that involved them having to face their fears

I also allow myself time to arrive somewhere and not feel rushed. I confide in those close to me so they understand and allow me to settle in.

The worst workplace situations are presentations to big groups of people. I get the sensation of someone pressing on my chest, dizziness, lights in my eyes, trembling hands and fast breathing.

The best advice I have for fellow sufferers is to talk to those close to you so they can support you. Tell them exactly what you need (a hug, help slow breathing, understanding). And be kind to yourself. If you can't face the situation and it's likely to impact your mental health, then put yourself first. It also helps to read other people's experiences on how they cope. Don't face it alone.

Enclosed spaces
Enclosed spaces
Enclosed spaces

Sophie, 36
Digital director

I have a huge phobia of the London Underground that I've been dealing with for years. I hate the thought that I’m trapped underground in a sweaty metal tube! When my stress gets bad I find it harder to manage, so I mostly get the bus everywhere, which adds about 30 minutes to my journey.

I also have it in taxis, especially in traffic. My main way to cope is to carry sick bags or sandwich bags, because my fear makes me feel very panicky and sick – especially when I’m stuck in a tunnel. Once, I had a panic attack so awful when stuck in a tunnel that my legs went and I had to sit on the floor of the Underground. They just turned into jelly!

When I moved from London to Hove I had to extend my commute because I didn’t want to get the Tube from Victoria if I didn’t have to.

I always pause to consider when I’m offered a job where taking the Underground is essential. If there’s no other option, I have to have headphones in because it helps me to stay calm if I focus on music or a podcast or Sudoku.

I sometimes have work trips to Paris and Washington, D.C that involve essential travel on the metro. It’s hugely challenging but the only way I’ve learned to deal with it is to not avoid it, if possible.

To this day, but particularly when I’m tired or stressed, I find it difficult to be 'trapped' in a room – for example, in meetings or interviews. Anywhere where me leaving might cause a bit of a scene.

90% of the time I'm okay. Things that have helped me are CBT, mindfulness, acceptance – because fighting against myself made it worse – and age. I don't drink a lot and I try and get enough sleep. I try and approach things in a more laidback way to reduce my stress.

Animals
Animals
Animals

Violet, 37
Journalist

My fear of spiders is the type that stops my heart in my throat. It turns my legs to lead, my throat thick and suffocating, and my chest feels like it’s full of tiny, panicking birds.

The problem is, I can’t predict when I’m going to encounter one – and if it happens in the workplace, it can leave me feeling humiliated. If I catch sight of one, or if someone uses the ‘T’ word around me to describe a particularly large type, I’ll instinctively scream out loud and cover my ears.

My heart races like I’ve run a half-marathon. Adrenaline shoots through to the tips of my fingers and I want to cry – or escape.

It’s worse at certain times of the year – particularly Halloween. I experience a dizzying sense of panic when people decorate the office with paper ones, plastic ones or wind-up ones. I have to keep my eyes low and on my desk at all times. 

As a journalist, whenever stories of ‘false widows’ hit the front pages, I can’t write or edit them. I have to stick Post-It notes on my computer monitor to cover pictures of them while I’m working, so I don’t have to see them.

A colleague once sent me an email marked ‘urgent’. I opened it and it was a huge picture of a spider. I screamed, immediately started hysterically crying, and was so embarrassed that I picked up my things and fled the office. I was shaking for hours.

I haven’t overcome my phobia yet, but it has lessened – probably through having children.

My only tip is to seek help – but you have to find the right treatment for you. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to curing phobias. And don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The goal has to be to get to a point where you can stand whatever you’re afraid of – you’ll probably never love it, but you’ll handle it. They do crop up in everyday life and you need to find a way of working with that.

Getting through it

When a substantial percentage of the working population are suffering from stress and anxiety relating to a specific fear or phobia – not least, one that is directly applicable to the workplace – this could seriously impact on productivity. And it’s only through raising awareness and creating safe spaces for people to share their experiences that we’ll turn this around. We need to act now – before businesses begin to lose some of their best employees to traumas they have no control over.  

Which, if any, of the following people at work have you ever spoken to about your fear ?

Who we tell about our fears

And the experts agree. Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at mental health charity Mind, said the first step was to face the biggest fear of all – and that’s being honest about your situation.

Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind

Stephen Buckley, Head of Information at Mind

Lots of us want to avoid things or situations that we’re scared of, like spiders or public speaking, for example,” he said. We might find ways to avoid these situations or manage our feelings if we can’t. But if you have a phobia that can be a lot harder to do.

A phobia might mean that you spend a lot of time worrying about a situation or object, or go to extreme lengths to avoid it. This can have a big impact on your life, and might mean you turn down opportunities, like jobs, where you think you’ll have to confront the things you’re worried about.

If your phobia is interfering with your everyday life – for example, if it prevents you from applying for a job – or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it may be time to seek help. Your GP should be able to talk to you about the options, which could include talking treatments or medication.

There are also various things you can do to try to address your phobia and reduce the impact it has on your life. These can include learning relaxation techniques, like meditation, joining a peer support group or trying self-help resources. You can read more self-care tips on the Mind website.

Jobsite research of 2,000 GB workers - December 2018.
Numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

*Figure encompasses all those who gave an answer to the survey excluding those who said, ‘Don’t know’ and ‘Prefer not to say’.

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