How to Avoid Panicking

In The Beginning...

In the beginning stuff happened and now we exist, and from that moment until now - people have been panicking. Some people panic about little stuff, others panic about big stuff, and some people don't seem to panic at all.

If you're reading this article then either you panic, or you live or work with people who panic.

I've come to realize that people panic for several reasons:

- Fear

- Anxiety

- Stress

I know all about panic. I'm a panic monger. I thrive on panic and seem to find every opportunity to panic. I grew up in a house where the slightest mishap could cause wide scale panic and mayhem. I've been conditioned to panic in the following situations:

- Late bills

- Unfinished house chores

- Misplaced paperwork

- Everyday mishaps

What I've learned, however, is that very few things are actually worth panicking over. I think I finally understood this when my credit card was stolen and the thief charged up a hefty sum. This was one of those cases where panic might have been warranted. But knowing that I panic far too often I chose not to panic, and the situation was quickly resolved and virtually painless.

I also work with people who panic. Every tiny problem becomes a reason to panic, when in fact what's really happening is the people panicking are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems they have to deal with. It doesn't help that the boss panics because he has hundreds of problems to deal with as well. So what you end up with is an office full of people panicking.

I've often felt like posting a sign that says: "Relax, Henny Penny, the sky isn't falling. You're simply overwhelmed."

Instead, I wrote this little article for myself, and others, who sometimes need a reminder that not everything is worth freaking out over. Or to use an old adage: "Why make mountains out of mole hills?"

Why Panicking is A Bad Thing

There are a lot of reasons panicking is a bad thing. I'd thought I'd list a few.