‘How to conquer fear, our greatest enemy!’ you might be wondering about the title. So, let me ask you a question when was the last time you did not feel afraid of anything for an entire day? It is difficult to remember a day like this, am I right? Fear and anxiety are both human emotions, and no one can completely get rid of them. Fear is supposed to act as an alarm for situations which require sudden reactions and can be called a ‘saviour emotion’ in instances where sound decisions are a need of the hour. However, over-information, misinterpretation or overthinking may lead to an immense amount of fear, which can, in turn, overpower your mind and can lead to dire circumstances.

Fear, if not put under control can kill you faster than any disease. How is it so? Let me explain.

Uncontrolled and extreme fear is the direct cause of various health and personality disorders. However, where does fear come from?

We human being in our day-to-day lives experience various kinds of fear:

• Fear of Pain
• Fear of Loss
• Fear of Failure and Embarrassment

In general, we fear the unknown or the repetition of a painful scene in the past. As kids, we feared injections, why? Simply because the memory of pain is attached to that of an injection in our minds. We do not want to undergo painful situations, be it physical or emotional. Certain people do not wish to invest emotionally in anything or anyone. Why? Because they are often stuck in the clock and fear that attachment might cause pain.

Money, being one of the most vital elements of human life, comes along with a fear of loss. Certain people do not spend on themselves, fearing that it would lead to a loss of money. Fear of failure, of any sort, keeps us from taking a step forward into anything new. Fear of change goes hand-in-hand with the fear of failure.

Don’t quit even before you’ve started. Let us know the reasons why fear is the biggest killer of all!

Paulo Coelho

• Effects on Physical Health: It has been proven by the research studies conducted all over the globe that stress and anxiety can directly lead to a deterioration of human health at an extreme level. An external stimulus or a thought acts as a stimulus for the brain to release stress hormones, primarily, cortisol, which is responsible for various changes in the body. Stress and anxiety directly lead to an increase in blood pressure, in turn posing a high risk of heart disease. It also curbs the immunity of the body, and its tendency to heal. This directly makes the body more susceptible to infectious diseases. An Imbalanced sleep cycle is another stress-related disorder which has an adverse impact on mental health.

• Effects on Mental Health: Anxiety directly hits your brain cells and may also be an outcome of a condition known as ‘Brain Fog’, a block, as you may say, wherein you are unable to make any decisions whatsoever. Fear of the unknown, or fear of change gives way to negativity. As I’ve told earlier in my previous blogs about the Law of Attraction, you tend to attract what you strongly believe. Constant and overpowering fear pushes you toward the realisation of your fears.

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

There are a few simple steps you need to follow in order to take control of your fear and anxiety:

• Know Your Fears and Face Them Head On: A clarity of vision is necessary for achieving that goal. In the same manner, clarity and identification of your fear is the first step to tackle it. Once you know exactly what you’re fearful of, it becomes easy for you to find the required solutions.

“If you try to get rid of fear and anger without knowing their meaning, they will grow stronger and return.”

Deepak Chopra

• Meditation Helps Clear the Clutter:Regular meditation helps you to slow down your thought process in order to develop a sense of clarity. Stress arising due to misinformation or confusion is the worst to tackle. Analyzing all the sides of your fear is one way to take control over it.
• Physical Exercise:Regular exercise releases ‘hormones of happiness’ in your body and hence helps to conquer conditions such as ‘brain fog’. Increased blood circulation and adequate supply of oxygen to the brain has been proven to reduce anxiety and cure depression.
• Visualize Success: Imagine your success before you take upon a new challenge. Make sure to remain clear in your imagination and work towards that goal without paying heed to the thoughts of failure. Focussing on success will give your brain lesser opportunities to entertain the thoughts of anxiety.
• Have Gratitude for What You Have:  The universe will only continue providing for you as long as you appreciate what you have. If you’re grateful for the people and the material wealth you have in your current state, you worry less about the next moment. Effective communication and positive relationships with people around you have always helped reduce the thoughts of fear, loneliness and anxiety.

Cherish your relationships and friendships amidst these times of crisis. Owing to the CoVID-19 pandemic, where people are fearful of the virus and depressed about the current situation, it is important for us to realise that our fear in such circumstances is our greatest enemy! Focus on what you have and learn about natural ways to create wellness in life.

Register for 15 minutes free Power Coaching Session to utilize this time of crises to its best and turn the direction of your life towards positivity. Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs.

Till then, Stay Fearless, Healthy and Stress-Free!

My question to you is “Are you stressed in your job? Is it due to Accountability?” Stress is most common in the workplace today. With the increasing advancements in technology and economies developing at a fast pace,  the world seems to run against time. From a time in the early 1900s when corporate sector jobs were considered atypical, to the present day where a major share of the employed finds itself working in a corporate setup, workplace issues have always been a point of concern. Stress, fatigue, anger issues, time management and energy management problems are a few in the long list of issues faced by the employees in the day today.  Lack of Accountability may be the issue which is creating stress in you.

What is Meant by Accountability at the Workplace?

 Accountability refers to taking initiative and having a sense of ownership for the work you do. It directly affects your work efficiency and approaches towards every little contribution you make at your workplace.

Do you feel in charge of the job you’re supposed to do? If not, this might create a problem.

A lot can go wrong in case there’s an imbalance in your perception of your accountability towards your job. The major issue resulting from the same is stress. An adult in the corporate sector spends approximately 8 to 9 hours a day in office. This number can go much higher, depending upon the nature of their job. This directly means, that, on an average one-third of their lives is being spent in the office.

This is reason enough for us to be immensely affected, physically as well as mentally, by our life at our jobs. If there’s a disbalance with respect to ‘taking charge’ at the workplaces, personality issues are likely to emerge in personal lives.

Stress and frustration, unfortunately, tend to be a part of your daily life, whether you are a manager or an associate or both. The causes, in general always come down to the factor of accountability. Let us see, how.

Major Causes of Accountability issues

As a Team Manager:

You end up feeling stressed, if:

• You are not able to make your team accountable for their work because there are staff members who are not pulling their weight and are relying on others to pick up their task
• You feel that the efficiency of your team is half as some of your staff is shouldering others work
• Your team shows signs of disharmony; members with varying opinions are affecting the work quality
• Your team is not open to feedback

As a Team Member

You end up feeling stressed, if:

• You are shouldering someone’s else work because he/she is not pulling their weight
• You’re scared of being held accountable for your job as your team’s slackness thrives
• You do not really recognize the importance of your work in your firm
• You’ve failed once and fear handling new projects

Accountability plays a major role in the above issues.

How to tackle these issues?

1. Creating Trust through Constructive Feedback: Constructive Feedback is a skill which can be used to create trust in the team. Constructive feedback is where you not only provide feedback on areas of improvement but also appreciate examples where the staff has displayed their strength. This type of feedback is taken positively by the employees and creates trust in their manager or team lead. Research studies have shown that most of Gen Z and Millennials consider a growth on the basis of feedback as important as financial growth opportunities. Meetings, further, are building blocks of unity, trust and developing a sense of accountability in the team. Being open to feedback by initiating one-on-one meetings with the manager towards building a better relationship at the workplace is a step towards recognizing your importance.
2. Know Your Worth: As employees, you or your team members have to believe that they are in the team for a reason. You are there to play a professional role. To play this role you and your team members need to speak their mind and provide their professional concerns in the team meetings. This will create the importance of self and will enhance productivity and confidence.
3. Internal Over External Accountability:
   • What is Internal accountability? Internal accountability is when a person entirely accepts responsibility for their job, believing it to be their task, and gets motivated to take charge. Internal accountability directly elevates you and your team's mindset from being a Victim to a Creator. This further reduces stress levels and fills the workplace life with positivity.
   • What is External accountability? External accountability, however, refers to forced accountability, when you feel you are working for someone else. This is a major cause behind constantly feeling stressed. Stress, in turn, reduces work efficiency.
4. You’re Much More Than a Mistake: One mistake can never decide your worth. Do not be afraid of mistakes - they are just learnings if you do not repeat them. The better way out is to take note of the mistake, own up to it, learn from it and step up. Taking charge of your work through accepting your mistakes is a stepping stone towards success.

If you feel accountable to yourself, are open to constructive feedback, you know your worth and you are not afraid of owning your mistakes, then you will be less stressed and you will not waste your time and energy in blame-game. People will recognize your work and your contribution to the team, instead of your manager taking charge as you yourself review your performance from time to time.

In this series of blogs, I will be sharing more about wellness in the corporate sector where I will provide some useful insights and tips to help you enrich your time at your workplace. The Stress Masters Programme created by me can further guide you through the ways to de-stress yourself at work and achieve immense success.

Till then, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!

Did you know “Brain Fog Can Be Put to Rest Forever”.

At times, our brain feels razor sharp – cutting through every challenge, every task, every instance in life. And then there are times when the brain feels blunt and heavy – almost like it cannot even take the weight of a feather. Why this swing? Are there easy tips that guarantee a sharp, alert brain? Listen to this video and try out the tips…

Sleep well, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!!