The "ghost" of dismissal is always present even when you start to work for someone else after being fired. You can be the best and the most committed, but sometimes that is not enough, because your permanence depends not only on you, but also on the economic context, the financial situation of the company and even subjective factors.

Since the COVID pandemic, this "ghost" has grown exponentially. Half of U.S. companies have reduced their workforce or are planning to do so in the coming months. In the U.S. technology sector alone, more than 84,000 workers have been laid off (many from companies as large as Netflix, Shopify and Peloton).

The uncertainty (and fear) of job cuts

According to experts, the era we face today comes with the Great Apprehension. The anxiety of not knowing if you're next on the cut list takes a toll on emotional and physical health. It also affects performance and mental health. This fear plunges them into a permanent sense of discouragement, affects their well-being, concentration and motivation, putting them at risk of states such as anxiety or depression.

A loop of nerves that takes you precisely where you shouldn't go: you produce less, you withdraw, disperse or reduce your efforts. That puts you in the crosshairs, in case of possible further cutbacks.

Sounds familiar? Well, perhaps it's important to learn to recognise and deal with that anxiety, so that it doesn't work against you, in a context where the risk of layoffs is real, but not necessarily an imminent threat.

How to cope with anxiety over job security

Identifying what you are feeling and dealing with it proactively is key. Layoff anxiety can't let fears take over. How to do it?

Separate reality from the ideas we get that have no real support. When we are anxious, our brain magnifies the problems and even creates them. It is key to pay attention to our thoughts and analyze if we are jumping to conclusions.

Examine what objective facts indicate whether you are indeed facing a risk of layoffs. Have you been told in any way? Have staff cuts been made? Do you have less workload? Are you being left out of meetings you used to attend? Are sales in your business very low?

Be proactive: There are signs that you are being laid off, so try to observe and get useful feedback. Are the projects you are currently working on important? Are they using your time and talent in the best way? If you notice that they are not, again: communicate with your boss and express it. It may be that a course correction, in time, will prevent dismissal.

Use your pessimism constructively: Do you think you are going to be fired? What scenarios would you have in front of you in that case? What are the possibilities? Try to put together a Plan B, in case you need it.

Fear is not always negative, but it cannot take control. If you feel you are in a situation where you are at risk of being laid off, use that anxiety to work in your favor.