The Only Thing We Have To Fear, Is Fear Itself - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Matt Krumrie
Minneapolis Workplace Examiner


Matt Krumrie writes the "Ask Matt" column for the Star Tribune, and has covered career and workplace topics for newspapers, magazines and Web sites for more than 10 years. He is also a professional resume writer.

(Reprinted With Permission)


According to the APA's Annual Stress in America Survey, almost half of American workers say they're stressed about their ability to provide for their families' basic needs, and 8 out of 10 say the economy is a major stressor. A new Gallup poll says 64 percent of the American workforce describe themselves as either "struggling" or "suffering" due to economic stress.

The result? Workplace malaise is on the rise says Judith Orloff, MD (www.judithorloff.com), a board-certified psychiatrist and an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA. Her new book is Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life (Harmony Books, 2009, $24.95).

Many more American workers complain of fatigue, angry feelings, insomnia, depression, headaches, and a host of other stress-driven symptoms than they did just a year ago. Almost half of American employees in the APA survey said they overeat to manage stress, while nearly a fifth percent reported drinking and smoking as ways to cope.

If economic fear--of losing your job, retirement fund, and security--is starting to take a toll on your emotional health and workplace performance, there's good news. You can transform fear into its positive, antidote emotion--courage--much like you'd flip on a light switch. All it takes is a few tried-and-true techniques.

Here are five techniques Orloff says you can try right away:

Calm down your stress hormones. Eliminate or avoid people and situations that induce the stress response in your body, which speeds up your pulse and mimics the feeling of fear. These include caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants; emotional vampires, or people at work who drain your energy and make you tense to be around; violent news stories; traffic jams; and arguments.

Identify your fear triggers. Pick one fear, to start. Let's say it's getting laid off. What brings on that fear? Bad news from your industry? Seeing a coworker laid-off? New health bills? The more specific the triggers, the better. Identifying triggers keeps you from being caught off guard next time one crosses your path. Without the "boo factor," fear triggers lose their potency.

Attract positive people, not emotional vampires. Be around people who are upbeat, not depressed. Engage in activities that make you feel better, such as yoga or taking a walk with a friend, rather than wallowing in fear of the pink slip, your 401(k) statement, or your credit card bill. Affirm all that is going well in your life--good friends, family, small pleasures. Focus on what you have to be grateful for rather than stresses. These activities chase negativity away.

Turn fear into courage. Turn fear into courage by taking small do-able actions. Identify one of your fears--for example, not being able to pay your credit card bill. Notice the physical sensations in your body when you think about this fear. Next, think of a small, positive step: "I will call the credit card company and renegotiate my fees so I can make a smaller monthly payment." Notice the change in how your body feels. Finally, take that step. Now you feel brave, not fearful because you are taking positive action. Once you get energized, you will be motivated to try this process with another fear.

Stay in the "now." Don't catastrophize about the future. Keep your mind focused on the present moment only--don't let it wander to worst-case scenarios. Stay focused on what you have to be grateful for now and the positive changes you can make today.