Managing stress

Years ago, I read a book called How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie. I’m not going to share everything in that book (you should buy a copy), but one key exercise had you reflecting on the worst possible scenario that could happen and then asking yourself if you were OK with that happening. If your answer was no, then you had to think through what action you could take to improve the situation.

Here’s an example:

• Scenario: Your boss wants a project done by Monday, even though the real deadline is 3 weeks away.
• Worst-case scenario: You don’t do the project on your days off, and the boss fires you because of it.

Are you OK with this?

Yes, because you already have money saved up to cover expenses while you look for another job. This gives you some freedom, and typically, this scenario wouldn’t lead to termination, since the project is not due for weeks.

No—you really need this job...