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Managing Anxiety When There’s No Room for Error

Nine takeaways:

1. In the workplace, perfection can feel like the only option. The fear of making a mistake can lead to crippling anxiety that only adds to the risk of an error and can have hugely negative impacts outside of work.
2. Distinguish between big and small mistakes: Focusing on every possible mistake can distract you from the most significant or costly ones. Speak to colleagues and study your role to gain full comprehension of the most common and most costly errors. It will give you the feeling of having your feet beneath you when assessing the risk of error.
3. Adopt risk-reducing systems and habits: perfection is impossible. You can implement risk-reducing systems and habits, like checklists or standard protocols (think about the way pilots have a list of checks they do before takeoff) and cultivate a culture that encourages reporting near-misses and sharing diverse viewpoints. Such approaches focus on learning rather than blaming, and they reward the identification of unknown risks.
4. Get support to address your weaknesses: Acknowledge the areas of your job in which you’re most prone to error, and address them through the assistance of a mentor, consultant, therapist, or friend. Self-improvement, more often than not, involves many besides just the self.
5. Play on your strengths: Use your strengths to mitigate your weaknesses. For instance- if you are a visual person, set visual reminders for yourself that assist you in safeguarding against your weaknesses.
6. Address self-sabotaging behaviors: When we’re very anxious about something, we often self-sabotage in ways that increase the chances of the feared thing happening. Spend the extra money on the tools you need, ask for extra time on tasks if needed. Believe in your own ability to overcome your shortcomings.
7. Collaborate with others focused on the same issues: Seek out solutions in group environments and find groups that share your fears or deal with similar challenges. Consider getting involved in larger efforts to reduce mistakes in your field or role.
8. Reduce small-threat distraction by taking simple actions to mitigate those risks: Take simple actions that help reduce the frequency of minor problems- the “low hanging fruit.” Address minor potential mistakes to the extent that they free up your mental capacity to think about and prevent larger ones.
9. Consider a hobby that allows you to make mistakes: Take up an activity in which mistakes and false starts aren’t at all costly. The author cites a CEO who alleviates the pressure of his work environment by going surfing- a relaxing hobby in which mistakes are not frowned upon but expected and celebrated.

From Alice Boyes for The Harvard Business Review
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