Overcoming Anxiety at Work

“What if it doesn’t work?”
“What if they don’t like it?”
“What if I lose?”
“What if it’s not good enough?”
“What if I’m not good enough?”

The what ifs are endless. One thing that’s fairly universally true, is that all of us experience unhelpful fear with annoying regularity. Not the kind of fear that protects you, but the kind that blocks you from reaching your goals.

There are so many things we can do to combat, or at least alleviate it. Super hero stances, alter egos (think Beyoncé’s Sacha Fierce), talking with a trusted person, breath work, meditation, biodata tracking, coaching, therapy, exercise, and the list goes on.

All of these initiatives have value and we could all use some combination of them to optimise our wellbeing and performance. But with all these tools available, why haven’t we cracked the code to avoid fear when it’s not needed?

I brought this up in supervision the other day. I was reflecting not just on my own fears, but also on how best to support my clients. The response I got was disarmingly simple and confronting.

Fear creates responses that, for most of us, have been repeated since childhood. They were originally in place to protect us from harm. But over the years, the brain forges neural pathways so well-trodden they become deep grooves. One coaching session is not going to change those. So what then, are we doing here?

We’re recognising what our brains are doing. We’re naming it and deciding if it’s helpful for not. And most importantly, we’re finding workarounds.

The key to moving forward, to generating real change, is self-awareness. It's asking, "is this fear here to protect me, or is it only standing in my way?" It's no magic wand, but it's pretty close.

Does fear ever stop you or slow you down? What do you do to overcome it?