"Everybody knows this coworker-the one who spirals about cost-cutting layoffs when snacks vanish from the break room. The one who thinks they're getting fired because their boss hasn't been using emojis with them lately. The one who's the office Chicken Little: anxious, somewhat frantic, often misguided . . . and who can't stop talking to others about whatever it is they're anxious about."
"People who quickly turn even minorly negative information into potential catastrophes "tend to be really high in neuroticism," says clinical psychologist Melanie McNally. Neuroticism, one of psychology's "Big Five" personality traits, measures one's disposition in the face of negative emotions. Think of the coworker who just knows they're getting axed after being left off a group email-when in reality the person who sent it genuinely just forgot."
Uncertainty triggers the body's stress response and fuels sustained panic about the unknown future during high-layoff periods. Individuals high in neuroticism tend to magnify minor negative cues into catastrophic outcomes, turning everyday signals—missing emails, snack shortages, budget cuts—into proof of imminent job loss. Misplaced vigilance interprets normal organizational actions as signs of company failure, prompting repeated anxiety loops and protective but maladaptive certainty-seeking. Recognizing triggers, setting boundaries with pessimistic coworkers, distinguishing evidence from speculation, and reducing rumination can interrupt spirals and reduce chronic workplace anxiety.
Read at Fast Company
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