Are You Afraid of Losing Your Job?

Fear of losing your job is one of the most common fears among anxiety sufferers, and of the public at large.

Job fear can make it difficult to function at work, and to enjoy what you do. It can dramatically limit your productivity. Moreover, fear of losing your job keeps some people hostage to a bad work situation.

In order to let go of the fear, take a close look at why you are so afraid of losing your job. Is this the only job of its kind? Are you afraid that you wouldn't be able to find another job? Is the salary so high that you wouldn't be able to replace it?

What is the source of your fear?

The Onion Technique

One helpful way to reach the root of your fear is by using the Onion Technique. Put your fears in writing.

Ask yourself: "What if I did lose my job? Then what would happen?" Write down your answer. After each answer, follow it up with "Then what would happen?" and write your response.

Do this process several times. Peel off a layer of the "emotional onion" each time you repeat the process to find the cause of your fear. Fears become less scary and easier to address once you define them. 

Once you understand the source of your fear and see it in writing, you can assess whether the fear is reality-based, the result of unwarranted insecurities, or doubts about your capabilities.

Listen to Your Inner Self

Sometimes job anxiety is a valid signal from your inner self that something needs attention. Maybe you are working long hours and other areas of your life are suffering.

Maybe you want to switch careers or  start your own business. Maybe your work situation is dysfunctional and requires action. Maybe you would benefit from switching departments to one more suited to your skills. Dig down to the root of the fear and LISTEN to the message from your inner self.

Fears about job loss often fit into one or more of the following categories:

Fear of the Unknown -- When we leave a job, we don't know what the future holds. Job loss brings change. It can shake us to our very bones because many of us believe that we have complete control over our lives; job loss challenges that perception. It creates a feeling of loss of control.

The Truth About this Fear -- There are two major forces at work in our lives -- external and internal. We have little control over most external factors, such as natural disasters, death, economies, and what other people think.

Believing that we control external forces is a faulty belief. No matter how much we want to believe that we control all external forces, it does not change the fact that we don't.

In the case of job loss, for example, we do not single-handedly control the economy. We do not control political or business decisions made by company executives. We do not control the shift in technologies worldwide. In most
cases, we are not solely responsible for a company's profit and loss statement.

What really matters, what you do control, is how you think and act. You have complete internal control over how you respond to job loss.

While you may not have had control over the job ending, you DO have control over how you react to and perceive the loss. Your perceptions determine whether the change is an opportunity or a curse. 

Make a list of all of the things you can control following a job loss. Here are just a few to get you started:

-- You control when, where, and how you seek another job.
-- You control how you will learn from any mistakes you made leading to the job loss.
-- You control what type of job you seek.
-- You control how you prepare for interviews.
-- You control how you maintain and improve your job skills.
-- You control how you manage your money following the change.
-- You control your attitude.
-- You control your thoughts.

Fear of Not Providing for Yourself and Your Family --
The fear of losing your job, and therefore, the means of providing for yourself and your family, is a realistic fear.

The Truth About this Fear -- Job loss is not the end of the world, as some people mistakenly believe; however, it is a hardship. Put a contingency plan in writing to help you realistically decide what you would do financially if your
job ended.

Creating a written plan gives you a sense of control because you see that although it would mean dramatically changing your lifestyle, you and your family would survive. For example, your contingency plan could include staying with a family member during the shift to save on housing expenses; renting out your home or apartment; getting a loan; liquidating assets; sharing a car, carpooling, or using public transportation.

Keep in mind that there are several government plans in place for emergency situations, such as unemployment benefits, food stamps, housing subsidies, temporary homeless shelters, and so on. Even if you would not prefer to use these options, know that you do have a choice. Create a reduced budget using these options and you'll find comfort in knowing that you would survive.

Prepare for emergencies, such as job loss, by reducing your current spending on non-essential items. Many experts suggest saving at least six months of living expenses in case of job loss or other emergencies.

If the idea of saving such a large sum seems overwhelming, break your six-month goal into several smaller goals to make saving more manageable. Setting aside even a small amount, such as $25 or $50 a week, will get you started. It will give you a sense of control over what you are doing to prepare for the unforeseen.

Fear of Success / Failure -- This is the fear that you will not obtain the job you desire, or what might happen if you do obtain the job you want.

The Truth About this Fear -- Fear of success and fear of failure have to do with a feeling of lack of control and a passive approach to your job situation.

A fear of failure is a result of focusing on the "obstacles" to success in your mind and letting them paralyze you into inaction or self-defeating patterns. The negative focus creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, resulting in learned helplessness.

A fear of success is a result of focusing on the "negatives" in your mind that will coincide with achieving what you want -- increased responsibility, giving up other dreams, failing to meet high expectations, and ultimately failing. It also results in inaction or self-defeating patterns that actually create the reality you are trying to avoid.

In order to overcome these fears, it is important to be completely honest with yourself. Assume responsibility for not performing up to your expectations in the past, and then have the maturity to look inward for solutions.

Being honest with yourself means differentiating between those things that you have the ability to control (your thoughts and actions) and those things that you cannot control (external forces).

Take action on the things you have the ability to control regarding your job, such as the quality of your work, how you treat coworkers, your attitude,
your skills, networking, self-expectations, and your confidence level. As you develop a greater sense of control, your fear will decrease. You will know
that you will be OK, no matter what surprises life sends your way.

Let go of external factors over which you have no control -- whether a certain coworker likes you, whether it rains the day of your big presentation,
whether you'll be downsized a year from now, whether the economy stabilizes, and so on.

Ironically, letting go of things that you cannot control is wonderfully empowering. Letting go of external forces strengthens your sense of control and energizes you to focus on what you CAN change. 

About Deanne

Deanne Repich - Founder and director of the National Institute of Anxiety and Stress, Inc., is an internationally renowned anxiety educator, teacher, author, and former sufferer who has helped tens of thousands of anxiety sufferers in more than 40 countries to reclaim their lives from anxiety, stress, anxiety disorders, panic attacks, anxiety attacks and social anxiety.

She is the creator of the Conquer Anxiety Success Program, author of more than one hundred articles, and publisher of the Anxiety-Free Living printed Newsletter for anxiety sufferers. She is a Member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.