Hearing about several companies doing layoffs brings the topic of worry to mind. There could be the worry of whether:
Your company will be doing layoffs
Your job is going to be impacted
You’ll be able to pay the bills
You’ll land another full-time job you like
Your mental health will be impacted
And the list goes on. As you’re reading this you may feel:
Your chest or back tightening
Your heart starting to pound
Or some other unpleasant sensation in your body
If that's the case, take a slow deep breath, in through your nose…out through your mouth…repeat until the sensation starts to pass. It’s understandable if one or more of these worries and physical sensations are coming up as anyone who has personally been impacted by a layoff knows what an emotional rollercoaster this kind of change can be, and the unknown can be scary.
As change agents and leaders we all get touched by layoffs at one time or another in our career, whether it’s personally being laid off or seeing your colleagues, friends, or family affected. At this point, most of you have probably been touched by them several times as layoffs have become a way of life in corporate.
The question is, as you hear the latest lay off news, see the LinkedIn updates from those impacted in your network, if you've personally been laid off, or have something else going on triggering you to worry, how much is that worry taking over?
What can worry taking over look like? It could be:
Difficulty thinking clearly or focusing on your work because you’re preoccupied with:
What might happen to your job
Some other stressor
Having trouble falling or staying asleep because your mind is racing
Feeling a lot of anxiety and/or being short tempered with those closest to you
Stressing so much a migraine, back pain, stomach issue, or some other physical ailment is triggered
Drinking too much, smoking, biting your nails, or some other negative stress coping strategy
And these are just some of the ways it can manifest.
What does it cost you when worry takes over? It:
Takes a mental, emotional, and physical toll on you
Drains and hinders you from getting things done / being productive
Limits the choices available to you as you get tunnel vision when you’re worrying
I.e. You’re unable to see all the possible solutions available to you to address a situation
Costs you precious sleep which is important for brain function and keeping your body healthy
Negatively impacts your body if it goes on long term
I.e. It can manifest as a migraine, a muscle spasm in your lower back, high blood pressure, anxiety attacks, stomach issues, and more
If any of those unpleasant sensations are coming up again in your body as you read this, remember take a slow deep breath, in through your nose…out through your mouth…and repeat until the sensation starts to pass.
Is worry a choice? Though it may feel otherwise, and like there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening, worry is a choice. There are things you can do to stop the worry and other choices you could be making instead so you feel more calm and at peace with your situation. My “Energy Leadership - Your Mindset Matters” Talk is a great place to learn more about these alternative choices.
As for the paths you can take to address the worry, there are two:
You can work to lower / address the symptoms of worry which is where many people focus, and it can feel like a game of Whac-a-Mole
For those outside of the U.S., this is a game where as soon as you knock down one mole, one or more pop up elsewhere so you’re constantly whacking the moles down
Or you can address the root cause of the worry
Hint: This has nothing to do with what is going on externally to you, and everything to do with what is going on in your mind
Reflecting on the above:
If worry has been taking over:
What has it been specifically costing you?
How much do you want to continue to choose to worry?
Which of the two paths do you think is more effective at addressing the worry so you can feel calm and at peace and be a more effective change agent / leader?
Call to Action
Struggling to address the worry and make a different choice? Reach out to Rosanne for help so you can feel more calm and at peace which enables you to be a more effective change agent / leader for yourself, your organization, and your family.
Using the comments feature, what did you learn from a previous time you let worry take over?
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About the Author: Rosanne Essiambre helps change agents and departments in one-on-one and group settings to be seen, be heard, and be effective in bringing about change, whether that’s in the organization and/or in their personal lives. She provides consulting and facilitation to organizations to improve communications and collaboration, smooth out the change / transformation journey, get to the root cause of an issue so it can be solved for good, improve processes, and implement successful lessons learned. And she conducts workshops, trains, and speaks on Energy Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience, Being a Change Agent and more. If you or your organization could use support with your change effort or some inspiration, contact Rosanne for a complimentary discovery session. Rosanne is a Change Agent Coach, Facilitator, Six Sigma Black Belt, Change Management / Continuous Improvement Consultant, Speaker, and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner with more than 20 years experience working on a variety of transformations across a diverse set of industries both domestically and internationally, while continuously improving herself.