Drowning in deadlines? The sooner you reach out, the sooner you'll be saved, writes Jim Bright.

Roger is sinking in a sea of anxiety about deadlines. "Last year I decided to enrol in a part-time coursework postgraduate certificate that included a research project report of 12,000 words," he writes. "It should have been submitted in November but I asked for and got a three-month extension and now I'm applying for special consideration for a further extension as I am experiencing severe anxiety and panic attacks as I feel I am unable to do it."

"An earlier draft was described as substandard and I felt worthless. I am awash in a sea of data and my supervisor says that I'm not making any effort to incorporate her suggestions into redrafts."

Roger's predicament will be familiar to anyone who has been confronted with a large piece of work and a deadline. The old fight-or-flight response can kick in, predictably with the flight option appearing the most attractive. When the going gets tough, the self-doubters get going.

Like so many other issues in the workplace, there is a fundamental communication issue at the heart of this. In fact, there are two communication issues. The first one is Roger's interactions with his supervisor. He is clearly somewhat fearful of this person and it doesn't sound as though he feels confident enough to approach her about his concerns. This is the first and essential step that Roger needs to take immediately. When the going gets tough, the smart get talking.

Roger needs to book a meeting with his supervisor - and I stress booking a meeting because a corridor conversation or an email risks failing to capture the supervisor's full attention. At that meeting Roger needs to set out the facts as he sees them.

These appear to be that he is suffering significant anxiety associated with successfully completing the work. He should explain that he is unsure and embarrassed about approaching his supervisor and seek suggestions about how best to communicate with her. There are probably some policies and procedures for Roger to access appropriate study support at his institution and to get extensions for submission.

In return for this support, Roger should agree to a regular schedule of face-to-face or telephone meetings with his supervisor to work on the progress of his project. Breaking the project down into meaningful smaller subsections will make the project more manageable and Roger will begin to see tangible progress. The supervisor will also see progress and commitment from Roger, which should motivate her to be more proactive in assisting him.

If the levels of anxiety are severe and disrupting his life, Roger should seek a referral to a psychologist (phone Australian Psychological Society, 1800 333 497, free) or get a referral from a GP.

In addition, he should explore what counselling and study skills support are available through his institution. Prevarication about deadlines can quickly segue into anxiety and outright panic if not checked. Communicating clearly with others when you are worried about meeting deadlines is in everyone's interests. It helps buy time, manage expectations and also opens avenues to get the appropriate support, coaching or counselling.

Getting into the habit of writing a small amount regularly not only helps to improve one's writing through practice but it also rapidly chips away at the mountain of words required.

Once the momentum is established, and support and communication processes put into place, the words are more likely to fall into place as well. 

Jim Bright is professor of career education and development at ACU and a partner at Bright and Associates, a career management consultancy.   
Email marked clearly "FOR PUBLICATION" to brightside@jimbright.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheFactoryPod