Work-induced anxiety? Try humming.

Author

Victor Genova
October 28, 2024

Media People Newsletter
Written and curated by Victor Genova · October 28, 2024 · Issue #20

Welcome to the twentieth issue of the Media People Newsletter. Subscribe here if you haven’t already. In this issue:

  • Rory Petty from VML stops by the podcast

  • Managing workplace-induced anxiety

  • Rapid Fire Questions with The LeaderSmith Founder, Theresa Smith

  • From the Media People Podcast Archives: Acast Canada Managing Director, Heather Gordon [2022]

🔉What does a strategy director do at a creative agency? According to VML’s Rory Petty—you figure things out.

EP108 with Rory Petty, VML Strategy Director is live. We chat:

🎯Growing up in England
🎯How studying human geography prepared him for a career in advertising
🎯Relocating to Canada
🎯How working in advertising differs between the UK & Canada
🎯His pivot from media strategy to creative strategy

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and online at mediapeople.ca.

Photo Credit: Victor Genova/ChatGPT

Managing Work-Induced Anxiety

Show me someone who has experienced work-induced anxiety, and I’ll show you someone who works in media, marketing, adtech, sales, etc.

Not sure if your workplace is responsible for your anxiety? This checklist should help:

  • Feelings of dread or fear that are consistent and persistent, but primarily associated with work tasks/colleagues/assignments/deadlines etc.

  • Anxiety symptoms that significantly decrease or disappear during weekends or vacations

  • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions specifically in work-related tasks

  • Procrastination or avoidance of work responsibilities

  • Excessive worry about job performance or job security

  • Physical symptoms (like those mentioned above) that occur mainly in the workplace or when thinking about work

Any of these sound familiar? Very likely—more than 80% of US workers have experienced workplace stress, and in the UK it’s estimated that there were more than 800,000 cases of workplace stress, anxiety, and depression in 2020-2021.

So how can one productively deal with work-induced anxiety? Dr. Nicole Cain is both a clinical psychologist and naturopathic doctor. She argues that having something simple like a “panic pack”— a small bag containing items to calm your senses, or turning to simple things like laughter and humming can help lower the temperature.

What’s in a panic pack? And how exactly does humming help? You can read Dr. Cain’s advice here.

Rapid Fire Questions with The LeaderSmith Founder - Theresa Smith

🎯Who would play Theresa if Hollywood turned her life story into a movie?
🎯What would Theresa call this movie?
🎯What is Theresa's favourite movie?
🎯The campaign Theresa is most proud of?
🎯What's the best advice Theresa has ever received?
🎯What would Theresa be doing if she were not in media?

From the Media People Podcast Archives: Acast Canada Managing Director - Heather Gordon [2022]

When Acast—one of the world’s leading podcast companies, wanted to expand into Canada, they tapped Heather Gordon to lead the charge.

A digital media sales veteran, Heather got her start at CHUM, working as an unpaid office assistant. She moved over to a paid role at CHUM Interactive, providing sales support for one of their first digital sales teams.

She rose through the ranks before taking the reins of the digital sales team responsible for the legendary Canadian music television brand—MuchMusic.

From there Heather moved to the CBC, where she led digital sales for the public broadcaster.

Heather Gordon stops by to chat about the women who influenced her career, leading digital sales for some of Canada’s biggest online media brands, and launching Acast’s first Canadian team. This was originally published in February of 2022.

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and online at mediapeople.ca