Flight or Fight? Shifting responses to fear and anxiety, and the role of workplace culture by Selale Anapa for TraumaVenture
By: Traumaventure Cecilia M Cardesa
Tags: Cultureofcare, Trauma Informed Systems, Future Of Work

The 2008 recession was extremely difficult for my family. Like so many others and their life-altering stories around this financial crisis, my parents lost the business that was a piece of their heart and soul. My second “home,” the diner they owned, where I spent days and nights while they worked, was suddenly gone. To follow shortly thereafter was our house. As a young teenager, I was confused; I could not understand how something you put all of your time, heart, soul, and money into could just disappear no matter how hard you fight for it.

As the years went on, I realized the profound impact these events had on my life. I was consumed by thoughts of finance; constantly worrying about my parents and unsure how we could change the tide. Research shows that when children are faced with instability, it impacts their development and how the effects of such instability can be mitigated. Family structure, employment, housing, and child care are interconnected; therefore, change in one leads to change in another. It felt like with each step we took, another piece of the road crumbled.

More than a decade after 2008, COVID-19 entered our lives like a whirlwind, stirring up and unearthing fear and anxiety, bringing them again to the forefront. It shifted the domains that lead to the development of instability — for children and adults.

The economic uncertainty I felt as a child watching my parents’ struggle was happening again. I have spent days in an obsessive fog in which I could not wrap my mind around a plan to get out. Everything seemed out of reach and I was frozen. I felt like a kid again, sitting at the counter for the last time looking at the empty space that was my parents’ dream. I felt helpless. A “once in a generation” economic crisis was happening again, and questions swarmed in my mind:

What is happening? Will I be able to continue supporting myself? What will happen to my parents? How can I help them and also support myself? Will our entire lives be a financial-crisis? What will be the lingering effects associated with the pandemic?

What was happening was out of my control and I was afraid. That fear had a hold over me; it dictated what I could and could not do. I closed up and reverted back into my habitual response to fear — to freeze. I dissociated from the here and now and was mentally, physically, and emotionally immobilized. I knew I needed to shift my response and I reflected on past team conversations around fear and how hopeful leadership can role model a way forward, which I discussed in my previous article.

We are all familiar with flight (retreating or running away) or fight (being combative, ready to take someone on) responses to fear and anxiety. However, in a training Dr. Cardesa led for us, I was introduced to other responses: Fog (to disconnect from their body and mind); Fawn (trying to appease or take care of another person): Freeze (unable to move physically or mentally). I freeze and am unable to “thaw.”

These responses are natural; our amygdala, an almond shaped structure in the limbic system of the brain, is responsible for reacting to certain stimuli such as events outside of our control. Essentially, it is trying to protect us; it is just doing its job. So, thank you, amygdala…but, we can shift our responses to fear and anxiety. If one’s habitual response is to fight, instead, they can dance. If you freeze, wiggle or shake your body; if you fog, open your eyes, smile, and bring yourself back to your body. If you fawn, hug yourself and place your hand on your heart — remember you need to take care of yourself too. If someone’s response is flight, they can practice warrior pose or find ways to stay grounded and feel the strength inside them. We are resilient beings.

At TraumaVenture, we dialogue as a team about the pressure to be resilient. We are resilient, and we celebrate the courage to face adversity. At the same time, however, we also reflect as a team on how sometimes we need a moment to experience our emotions and those which are coming up in a time of uncertainty. The long-term implications of COVID-19 on generations are not precise. Still, the pandemic may further exaggerate existing generational inequalities — older generations continue to be impacted by the adverse health effects of the virus, and younger generations experience inauspicious financial outcomes. COVID-19 has triggered a socio-economic crisis that is draining resources from every corner of the world. Financial hardship among families has increased in scale and depth and threatens progress made in reducing poverty.

As I learned more about a workplace culture of care, I recognized that COVID-19 is expanding the connection between our work life and home life. Our work can be a healing method, and a workplace culture of care can create avenues for processing these deep-seated emotions around financial stress — with hopeful, connective leadership, we can shift our responses to fear. The impact of financial stress on productivity and satisfaction is genuine, and the COVID-19 whirlwind is unearthing those concerns to the forefront of our thoughts.

COVID-19 is a collective psychological upheaval shared by the entire world and increases both individual and collective fear. Help with budgeting, managing debt, building emergency savings, and long-term financial planning through group meetings or training, or individual meetings will reduce the isolation of financial stress. A workplace culture of care emphasizes the importance of financial wellness with properly structured wellness benefits to boost productivity and improve employee retention; it is hopeful and understands responses to fear and how to help shift them. Implementation of a financial wellness plan needs to be person-centered with the awareness of each employee’s individual experiences; a “one-size-fits-all” approach is not sufficient.

I also want to recognize that remote work has a beautiful side to it — bringing people worldwide together through virtual meetings that one may not have been able to attend otherwise. Through Zoom and other video conference technology, employers can “bring in” experts to generate conversations around financial stress and management tools. For instance, I recently participated in a virtual conference at Harvard University, which would not have been an option for me before. A financial wellness program should be inspiring; it should motivate participants to create a financial plan and have a brighter outlook for the future. Engaging employees in inspiring financial wellness programs reduces finance-related stressors and inturn, reduces the likelihood of one falling into their habitual response to fear. The act of starting on this path of recognizing financial stressors and working to mitigate them can be overwhelming for many. Therefore a successful, inspiring financial wellness program implements milestones and “quick wins” — such as creating a budget or even canceling that unused subscription and allocating the savings toward paying off debt — to help keep employees motivated and accountable.

COVID-19 is negatively impacting everyone on the socio-economic spectrum and is deepening inequality and inequity. A financial wellness program should be easily accessible to help remove barriers to success. As part of creating a culture of care, employers must be mindful of employees’ experiences and meet them where they are through a program with versatile, attainable tools and goals.

Financial stress is rarely an isolated phenomenon. Workplace culture is a determining factor in overall wellness and is interconnected with personal happiness. Space for employees to address concerns and find resources is not a luxury, but an essential that, regrettably, is not and will not be available to everyone unless there are structures in place. Integrating a financial wellness program is vital in a workplace culture of care; when employees are appropriately informed about the benefits and programs offered to them, feelings of security increase, and stress decreases.

We, at TraumaVenture, recognize the individual and collective unique experience of this pandemic. It has highlighted health, financial, and racial inequalities and inequities. As a consultant at TraumaVenture, I have witnessed how a workplace culture of care mitigates financial stress and opens avenues for shifting the conversation to be inclusive and less isolating. The future of work is a trusting, collaborative environment with a clearly defined financial wellness program and resources for employees. In this environment, we can create a plan to foster hope and hold space for ourselves and our team. Although the 2008 recession and the COVID-19 pandemic are different in character, both have revealed feelings of fear for the self and loved ones, uncertainty, helplessness, and stress. Through compassion, empathy, and deep listening, we can shift our responses to fear and leverage this collective experience of COVID-19 to bring us closer and recognize how we can better care for one another moving forward.

Şelale Anapa

#motivationmonday #cultureofcare #shiftingfear #futureofwork #humancentricleadership #empathymatters #peoplefirst #kadınliderler #TraumaVenture