The psychology of the ‘Chicken Little’ coworker

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.

This person—and it could be you—may be justified, as it makes sense for employees to be nervous right now: layoffs are at an all-time high, and January is a common month for layoffs. 

But for the office Chicken Little, it’s not the dismal mass termination numbers alone that are scary: It’s the unknown future that’s sending them into sustained panic mode. “Uncertainty is a huge trigger to the stress response” in the body, says physician Esther Sternberg, who’s long studied the effects of stress on humans. 

Fast Company spoke with several psychology experts who shared what makes someone more prone to anxiety spirals and loops, tips for dealing with their unending office pessimism, and how to escape your own layoff-related worries. 

What causes anxiety spirals

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.

“A minor budget cut isn’t just a cost-saving measure” to these folks, says organizational psychologist Ali Shehab. Instead, the misplaced vigilance takes it as a “sign that the company is failing. ‘I will be fired, and I will never find a job again’.” This is often seen as a protective mechanism that attempts to provide certainty amidst stress-inducing uncertainty.

When working with this “glass-half-empty” type in the past, Yvonne Castañeda, a social worker specializing in trauma, says she’s noticed that contentment seems to feel “scary” or “wrong” for some folks, or that safety can’t be trusted. This could come from their upbringing: Parents who were perhaps overly worried and dwelt on potential dangers left this person with a mindset that they’re not going to be okay. The mindset could even manifest after a traumatic event, like a loss, after which the person feels like they don’t deserve or “want to be happy again,” says Castañeda. 

But McNally says these people might just have “limited social support.” Perhaps they can’t go home at the end of the workday and bounce their concerns off friends or family for a calming ear and alternative perspective, and then coworkers end up becoming their primary outlet for airing worries.

For David Rosmarin, associate professor at Harvard Medical School and founder of the Center for Anxiety, the description of this archetype is much simpler. “They’re called ‘Americans’,” he says. 

Such behavior “doesn’t even come from being pessimistic. It comes from control.” As Americans, he adds, we’re taught to banish feelings of discomfort as soon as they visit us. With the prevailing cultural interest in instant gratification and immediate answers to any query, it’s no surprise that many experience what Rosmarin calls “intolerance of uncertainty,” whether it’s about the weather or our job security. 

But the irony is that obsessing with certainty just fuels anxiety.

Navigating this energy at work

While some workers vent fears to others—either out of fear, a desire for control, or simply a need for a sounding board—McNally reminds us that emotions are “contagious.” “Most likely, you’re spreading stress” if you indulge in the anxiety spiral, she says.

And for those around the person, “it’s very easy to get sucked into that tornado,” Castañeda adds. “Maybe you attempt to say something to cheer them up, it backfires, and suddenly you’re in conflict.”

Still, experts who spoke with Fast Company note that it’s helpful to share anxiety with others. The mental health benefits of having people you can trust at work are real. 

But when people regularly act on that compulsion to vocalize fears, to the point that it spreads unnecessary stress, it’s best for colleagues to set boundaries.

“If the conversation is becoming cyclical and harmful,” says Shehab, the move is to “gently disengage.” You can say that you hear the person is worried, but right now you need to concentrate on an important deadline. 

“’Let’s focus on the work we can control for the next hour,’” Shehab suggests communicating.

Experts generally recommend acknowledging and validating an anxious colleague’s concerns before trying to help them change their outlook. Dismissing someone’s fears or telling them to “calm down,” says McNally, “does not work.” Instead, just listen—if you’re feeling grounded and open enough to hearing them out without spiraling yourself.

“Hold the space. Don’t try to make it better,” Castañeda suggests. “You’re not going to do that.” Rosmarin suggests “reflective listening,” a “basic psychotherapy technique” that tends to make people feel at ease and understood. 

For example, imagine a coworker says, “’I’m freaking out about layoffs. They happened this time last year, and I can tell that they’re going to happen again’.” You can respond with something like, “Yeah, you’re right about last year, and that is totally scary to think about.” Validating the feelings of someone who’s spiraling can help ground them by making them feel heard—so at least they’re not anxious about having unfounded anxieties. 

Shehab also suggests using facts to pin down the anxiety’s source. “’What concrete evidence do we have that a layoff is happening today?’” Shehab suggests posing to a concerned coworker (or yourself). “’What are the actual company metrics right now?’” This, he says, “engages the prefrontal cortex”: the part of the brain responsible for rational thought that often gets “hijacked by the hyperactive amygdala,” the brain’s fear center, during anxiety loops. 

Research shows that venting can be helpful, but that’s only true for a few minutes before it becomes counterproductive. McNally suggests setting a timer for three to four minutes. When the timer goes off, transition to a new activity that’s going to totally occupy your attention—like dancing to an all-time favorite song, or cooking dinner with your family.

Validate the fear, act with empathy, and then ground the fear in the present with facts and gently challenging reframes.

Nipping the spiral in the bud

Whether it’s with nervous colleagues, or yourself, look for “what’s at the root of the anxiety,” Rosmarin says. 

Are you most concerned about rent payments? It could help to work on outlining a new personal budget in case of layoffs. Is thinking about finding a new job the biggest stressor? Update your résumé and start networking. 

Letting go mentally, and grounding yourself in calm action, can change your physiological reaction to anxiety: “There’s less adrenaline flowing through your system” when you do that, says Rosmarin.

In “high-stress, high-control” situations, says Sternberg, “you’re actually energized.” Facing a possible layoff is high-stress, low-control—but facing it while applying for new jobs gives you back some control, and can alleviate some of the negative stress feelings. 

Otherwise, adds Sternberg, make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising to reduce anxiety. 

Again, it all comes down to uncertainty . . . and learning to live with it.

If you can help your colleague (or yourself) accept it or use it to fuel productivity, the more likely everyone is to avoid anxiety spirals. 

“The question isn’t whether you can control the outcome,” says Rosmarin. It’s “embracing the fact that we’re not fully in the driver’s seat.”