Transcript: Let’s Talk About Anxiety

Introduction

Hi everyone, thanks so much for joining.

Before we dive in, I just want to set the scene a little bit. We know that a call about anxiety can actually make people feel a bit anxious! So please, do whatever you need to do to feel comfortable right now. If that means staring out the window, fidgeting, cameras off, or just listening in while you make a cuppa, that’s absolutely fine. This is a safe space, and there’s zero pressure to perform today.

We’re running this session because, honestly, things have been pretty heavy lately. Whether it’s work pressures or just the general state of the world, anxiety is something that a huge number of us are navigating.

We’ve got a really interesting agenda today. I’m going to hand over to George in a moment. As our Wellbeing: Mental Affinity Group Lead, he’s going to talk us through the landscape of anxiety, including the symptoms to look out for, but also some modern challenges. He’ll be touching on the misinformation we see online and, interestingly, the impact that AI is having, which is a massive topic at the moment.

Over to you, George.

George’s part

George then talked about anxiety, its symptoms, misinformation online, and the impact of AI. That part isn’t in my script.

Anxiety and neurodivergence

Thanks, George.

I wanted to take a moment to look at anxiety through a neurodivergent lens. If you have autism, ADHD, OCD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dyspraxia, anxiety often isn’t just a comorbid condition, it’s a direct result of trying to function in a world that wasn’t built for your brain.

For neurodivergent people, the symptoms often look different.

Sensory overload can be a huge factor. Sometimes what feels like a panic attack is actually the lights being too bright, the office being too loud, or the texture of your jumper being wrong.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD, is huge for people with ADHD. It’s that intense pain when you think you’ve been rejected or criticised, even if you haven’t. It causes massive anxiety about sending emails, or speaking up in meetings.

We talk a lot about “masking”: hiding your traits to fit in. Working a 9-to-5 is exhausting. The anxiety often comes from the fear of the mask slipping, and people seeing the unmasked you.

There is a really vital distinction here. Standard medical advice often treats anxiety as a “glitch” inside our heads, like we’re worrying about things that aren’t real.

But for neurodivergent people, the anxiety is often a completely rational reaction to the room we’re in. If the environment hurts your ears, the lights are too bright, or the instructions are confusing, your brain signals “danger”. So, it’s not always a chemical imbalance. In some cases, the cause is environmental.

To help bring this to life, I’m going to pass over to Bim to share some lived experience with us.

Bim’s experience

Bim then shared his lived experience. That part isn’t in my script.

Thank you for sharing, Bim.

Support at giffgaff

So, where do we go from here? We don’t want to leave you with just the heavy stuff. While we can’t wave a magic wand and fix everything, there is support available.

Firstly, let’s look at the support that’s available to you internally.

As we’ve spoken about before, we have the wonderful Bupa. Their Healthy Minds service is available for you 24/7, as a confidential phone line. I’ll pop the number into the chat, and it can also be found in the wellbeing-mental Slack channel’s Channel overview, or in the Accessibility Confluence space.

Reasonable adjustments: if specific things at work trigger your anxiety, like noise or lighting, speak to your line manager. You are legally entitled to adjustments that help you do your job without burning out.

Last but not least, we have some incredible Mental Health First Aiders. If you just need a chat and a vent, our mental health first aiders are here for every single giffgaffer. They aren’t therapists, but they are great listeners.

Support outside giffgaff

There are also some resources available to you outside of giffgaff, which I’d like to highlight.

Firstly, the NHS. I want to dwell on this for a second, because I know how easy it is to talk yourself out of making that appointment. We often think, “I don’t want to waste their time”, or “Other people have it worse”.

But if anxiety is impacting your daily life, whether that’s your sleep, your focus, or just your ability to switch off, please do see your GP. You don’t need to be at breaking point to deserve support, and they can open doors to therapies that you can’t always access yourself. There’s no medal for struggling through it on your own.

Mind are an incredible charity, who have brilliant, jargon-free information. If you’re looking for information, support, or somewhere to spend your volunteering hours, Mind is a great place to look.

And finally, look after yourselves today. If this call brings anything up for you, take some time before your next meeting. Go for a walk, get some fresh air.

Over to you

Next, we’d love to open up the floor.

If anyone wants to share their own experience, mention a coping mechanism that works for them, or just ask a question, please feel free.

You can pop it in the chat, or unmute yourself and speak, or use the raise hand function. I’ll make sure everyone who wants to speak gets heard. And please, only share if you feel comfortable doing so. As always, there’s absolutely no pressure to do anything you’re not comfortable with.