1.4 Review how stress and anxiety may affect own reactions and behaviour towards others

This guide will help you answer 1.4 Review how stress and anxiety may affect own reactions and behaviour towards others.

Stress is the body’s response to pressure. It can be caused by work demands, deadlines, or challenging situations. Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear, often linked to uncertainty or concern about future events. In a management position, stress and anxiety can build up quickly. The pressures of having to make decisions, manage staff, and ensure high-quality care are common causes.

Everyone experiences these emotions differently. Recognising how stress and anxiety present for you is the first step in managing their impact.

Signs and Symptoms

Stress and anxiety show up as both physical and emotional symptoms. You might notice:

• Headaches or muscle tension
• Trouble sleeping
• Racing thoughts
• Irritability or short temper
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling restless or on edge

You may also experience changes in behaviour, such as being less approachable, making more mistakes, or avoiding difficult conversations.

How Stress and Anxiety Affect Reactions

When you are stressed or anxious, your body goes into a state of alert. You may become more reactive, acting on impulse or emotion rather than logic. This can lead to:

• Quick, sharp responses
• Overreacting to small issues
• Becoming defensive or taking things personally
• Struggling to listen, interrupting staff or not hearing concerns

These reactions affect your relationships with others, especially staff or colleagues. People may feel they cannot approach you or fear negative responses.

Impact on Decision Making

Stress and anxiety can cloud your thinking. This often leads to poor decision making. You might rush through tasks, overlook important details, or avoid making decisions altogether. Staff may pick up on your hesitation or lack of focus. This can lower their confidence in your leadership.

When stress is high, you might:

• Choose the quickest solution, not the best
• Delay addressing important issues
• Struggle to plan ahead

This has a knock-on effect on service quality and team morale.

Communication Challenges

Strong emotions like stress and anxiety quickly affect how you communicate. You may:

• Use a harsher or more abrupt tone
• Avoid eye contact
• Be less patient with questions or concerns
• End conversations quickly

Clear, supportive communication gets lost when stress takes over. Staff may feel dismissed, undervalued, or even afraid to bring problems to you.

Effects on Leadership and Team Dynamics

Your behaviour sets a standard for the team. If stress and anxiety show outwardly, staff may mirror your emotional state. This can create a tense work environment. Staff may gossip about your mood or feel unsupported.

Behaviour patterns include:

• Reduced collaboration—staff work alone to avoid confrontation
• Increased conflict—tension rises as people respond to your stress
• Lower motivation—staff feel the pressure and become less engaged

Inconsistent or unpredictable reactions weaken team trust. Staff need stability, and your emotions shape their daily experience.

Reflecting on Own Triggers

Knowing what triggers your stress and anxiety helps you plan ahead. Common triggers for managers include:

• High workload
• Staffing shortages
• Difficult conversations
• Meeting targets or inspection deadlines
• Receiving complaints

Keep track of situations where your reactions are strongest. This helps you learn what to look out for and how to respond more constructively.

Coping Strategies and Behavioural Responses

You have tools that can lessen the impact of stress and anxiety on others. Effective strategies include:

• Pause before responding: Take a breath and count to three before speaking.
• Step away: If possible, take a short break during stressful moments.
• Acknowledge feelings: Admitting to your emotional state (without blaming others) builds trust. For example, say, “I am feeling under pressure right now, let’s revisit this shortly.”
• Prioritise tasks: Focus on one thing at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Seek support: Talking to a peer, supervisor, or mentor can give useful perspective.
• Practice self-care: Healthy eating, exercise, and rest reduce stress.

Your willingness to manage your stress openly shows others that it is safe to do the same.

Recognising the Impact on Staff

If you react to stress by snapping or withdrawing, team members may:

• Avoid sharing problems for fear of your response
• Withhold feedback or suggestions
• Feel unsupported and less motivated
• Experience their own stress or anxiety

Repeated exposure to negative behaviour creates a cycle, making problems worse.

Effects on Service Users

Your mood affects the staff who, in turn, affect the people supported by your service. When stress runs high at management level, care standards can slip. People using services might notice a tense atmosphere, slower responses, or less empathy from staff.

Staff distracted by management stress may pay less attention to the needs of service users. This can affect safety, well-being, and the quality of support received.

Importance of Acknowledging Stress

Admitting you are under stress does not show weakness. It shows honesty and self-awareness. Saying, “I am under a lot of pressure at the moment,” can be helpful if done appropriately. It gives others a chance to understand and respond supportively.

Trying to hide symptoms often backfires. Staff notice changes and may become anxious themselves. Open discussion about workplace challenges can create a culture of support and shared problem-solving.

Building Emotional Resilience

Resilience means being able to bounce back from stress or setbacks. Build resilience by:

• Reflecting on stressful experiences and learning from them
• Accepting when things cannot be changed
• Focusing on positive achievements, however small
• Maintaining professional boundaries to prevent emotional overload
• Using supervision or debriefing regularly

Resilient managers cope more effectively with stress and model healthy coping strategies for staff.

Learning from Experience

After difficult periods, spend time reviewing your reactions. Ask yourself:

• How did I behave towards staff?
• Did my mood affect team discussions or decisions?
• What signals did I send through my body language and words?
• How could I respond differently next time?

Reflective practice helps you spot patterns and commit to positive change.

Using Feedback to Improve

Regular feedback from colleagues and staff is helpful. You may think you are hiding your stress, but others may still sense it. Invite open discussions in supervision or through anonymous surveys. Questions could include:

• How does my mood affect the team?
• Are there times when you find me less approachable?
• What could I do to be more supportive when under pressure?

Honest feedback can guide you to better self-management and stronger leadership.

Support Systems

You are not expected to cope alone. Most organisations have support networks, such as:

• Line management or senior colleagues
• Employee assistance programmes
• Mental health champions or workplace counselling
• Peer networks or informal support from your team

Accessing help early lowers the risk of long-term stress or burnout.

Personal Example

Here is an example to illustrate the ideas above:

Last month, heavy workloads and last-minute changes left me feeling anxious and irritable. I noticed that I answered questions from staff with a short tone and offered less support. A team member commented that I seemed “too busy to listen.” After reflecting, I apologised and explained my stress. We agreed on new ways to manage workload and check in more often as a team. Staff felt listened to, and stress reduced for everyone.

This shows how self-awareness, honesty, and openness can turn a negative experience into growth.

Final Thoughts

Managing your reactions to stress and anxiety is a lifelong process. Stay committed to learning about yourself, seeking support, and using practical strategies. This improves your health, strengthens the team, and leads to better outcomes for people you support.

Your staff are watching how you handle pressure. By responding thoughtfully—rather than reacting out of emotion—you demonstrate strong leadership and create a safer, more supportive workplace for all.