Your heart races before a meeting that never used to bother you. You reread the same email three times before sending it, still not sure it reads right. If anxiety at work has started to feel like your normal, this article covers why it happens, what you can do about it day to day, and how the support system in Australia works if you decide to get help.
You’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 3.4 million Australians, or 17% of the population (Source: AIHW, 2026).
What anxiety at work actually feels like
It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s a tight chest before opening your inbox. Sometimes it’s lying awake running through tomorrow’s meeting instead of sleeping.
Anxiety at work can also build slowly. A deadline here, a difficult colleague there, a manager who never quite says you’re doing okay. None of it looks like a crisis on its own, but it adds up.
This matters because the workplace itself is often part of the picture, not just something happening to you in isolation. In 2023 to 2024, the most common causes of serious mental stress claims in Australian workplaces were workplace bullying and harassment (33.2%), work pressure (24.2%), and exposure to violence or aggression (15.7%) (Source: Safe Work Australia, 2025). These are recognised workplace hazards, not just personal struggles you’re meant to push through alone.
Is it anxiety, stress or burnout?
These three overlap, and you don’t need a perfect label before you take them seriously. But noticing the pattern can help you work out what kind of support makes sense.
Use this checklist as a starting point, not a diagnosis:
- You dread work most mornings, not just before one big presentation
- Your sleep, appetite or concentration has changed over several weeks
- You feel tense or on edge even outside work hours
- You’ve started avoiding meetings, calls or tasks you used to handle fine
- Physical symptoms (racing heart, tight chest, upset stomach) show up before or during work
- A colleague or family member has mentioned you seem different lately
If several of these sound familiar, it’s worth talking to your GP or a registered psychologist rather than waiting to see if it passes.
Why Australian workplaces are seeing more of this right now
This isn’t just a feeling. Safe Work Australia’s data on psychosocial hazards at work shows workers with a mental-health-related workers’ compensation claim experience poorer return-to-work outcomes and face more stigma from colleagues and employers than workers with physical injuries (Source: Safe Work Australia, 2024).
The financial cost is significant too. Low psychosocial safety in Australian workplaces is estimated to cost employers around $6 billion a year, with a further $6.3 billion linked to depression-related absenteeism and reduced productivity while still at work (Source: Safe Work Australia, Psychosocial safety climate and better productivity in Australian workplaces, 2016).
Under Australia’s model work health and safety laws, employers now have a legal duty to identify and manage psychosocial risks, the same way they’d manage a trip hazard or faulty equipment. If your workplace feels genuinely unmanageable, that’s a legitimate workplace safety issue, not just something to grit your teeth through.
Practical strategies you can use today
- Name what’s happening, even just to yourself. Noticing “this is anxiety, not a real emergency” can settle the physical response slightly.
- Break tasks into smaller pieces. A vague, looming project feeds anxiety more than a specific next step does.
- Build in short breaks. Even five minutes away from your screen can reset a racing mind before it snowballs.
- Limit checking work messages outside hours. Constant availability keeps your nervous system switched on.
- Move your body. A short walk, even around the block, can lower physical tension in a way that sitting and worrying doesn’t.
These strategies help many people manage day-to-day anxiety at work, though results vary. If anxiety keeps returning despite trying them, that’s a sign to speak with a GP or registered psychologist, not a sign you’re doing something wrong.
How to talk to your manager or HR about it
- Decide what you want to happen, not just what you want to say. A quieter workspace, flexible hours, or clearer priorities are easier to ask for than “please understand me.”
- Choose a private, unhurried time rather than raising it in passing or at the end of a long meeting.
- Keep the disclosure general. “I’ve been finding my workload harder to manage lately and want to talk through some options” is enough.
- Ask whether an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available. Many Australian employers offer confidential, short-term counselling through an EAP at no cost to you.
- Follow up in writing afterwards, briefly, so there’s a record of what was discussed and agreed.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you’re unsure of your workplace rights around mental health, your union, HR team, or the Fair Work Ombudsman can give you specifics for your situation.
When it’s time to see someone, and what that actually involves
Your GP is usually the first step. They can talk through what you’re experiencing and, if appropriate, set up a Mental Health Care Plan that gives you access to Medicare-rebated sessions with a psychologist.
A registered psychologist can draw on a range of evidence-based approaches for anxiety, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy. Which approach fits best depends on your history and what’s driving the anxiety, and a psychologist will usually talk this through with you rather than applying a single fixed programme.
It’s worth knowing that psychologists in Australia provided almost half of all Medicare mental-health-specific services in 2023 to 2024 (49%), ahead of GPs (27%) and psychiatrists (21%), according to AIHW mental health service data.
Seeing a psychologist for anxiety at work is a common, well-used part of the Australian health system, not an unusual step.
Therapy timelines and outcomes vary from person to person. A psychologist can only give you a clearer sense of what to expect once they understand your situation, so it’s worth asking directly at your first session.
What it costs in Australia
Here’s roughly how the pathway works:
Outside Medicare, some people access psychology support through WorkCover WA, the NDIS, DVA, or a workplace EAP. Eligibility for each of these depends on your individual circumstances, so it’s worth checking directly with the relevant scheme or Sage’s fees and rebates page rather than assuming what applies to you.
Getting started at Sage Psychological Services
You don’t need a crisis point to reach out. Many people start seeing a psychologist simply because work has felt harder to manage than usual for a while.
Sage Psychological Services is a small, private practice in East Fremantle, working with adults across Fremantle, Melville, Cockburn and greater Perth, with telehealth sessions across WA also available. You’ll see the same registered psychologist, Jacob Jones, each time, rather than a rotating roster of practitioners.
Jacob draws on EMDR for trauma and anxiety alongside CBT, ACT and Schema Therapy, shaping sessions around your history and pace rather than a fixed programme. You can read more about Jacob’s approach to therapy before deciding if it feels like a good fit.
If you would like to talk through your situation with a registered psychologist in East Fremantle, the team at Sage Psychological Services is happy to help. You can book a session with Jacob when you’re ready.
Frequently asked questions
- Work-related anxiety often eases somewhat on weekends or leave and intensifies around specific tasks, people or deadlines. If anxiety persists regardless of whether you’re at work, other factors may be involved. A GP or psychologist can help you work through what’s contributing, rather than trying to work it out alone.
- Yes. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to see a psychologist. Many people start sessions simply because they’re finding things harder to manage than usual. Your GP can discuss a Mental Health Care Plan with you regardless of whether a specific diagnosis has been made.
- With a valid plan, Medicare currently rebates $101.55 per session for a general (registered) psychologist or $149.05 for a clinical psychologist (Source: Medicare Benefits Schedule, current as at 1 July 2026). You pay the gap between this rebate and the practice’s session fee, which varies, so it’s worth asking when booking.
- It can be, depending on your circumstances and state scheme. WorkCover WA assesses claims individually, so eligibility isn’t automatic. It’s best to check directly with WorkCover WA or discuss your situation with your GP or workplace before assuming coverage.
- A psychologist provides talk-based therapy such as CBT or EMDR and cannot prescribe medication. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe medication as well as provide therapy. Some people see both, depending on what their GP recommends for their situation.
- This varies from person to person and depends on what you’re working through, so results and timelines differ between individuals. A Mental Health Care Plan provides access to up to 10 Medicare-rebated sessions a year, with a review by your GP partway through. It’s worth asking your psychologist directly, as they can give you a clearer sense of pacing once they understand your circumstances.
- Telehealth sessions can often be scheduled around work commitments, including on a break or before or after hours, depending on your privacy needs. Some people prefer to take a short amount of leave for the first session while they settle into it. Either way works.
This article provides general information only and isn’t a substitute for individual advice from your GP or a registered psychologist. If you’re concerned about your mental health, please speak with a qualified health practitioner.
