Well, it's happened.

The conference tables have turned.

It seems like forever that we've heard about a shortage of workers for a plethora of jobs. You want to work from home? No problem. You want to work Tuesday afternoons and every other Thursday? Be our guest. As long as you'll stay on the payroll, no one is going to pester you about why, when or how little you do.

Even under those favorable conditions, more and more people were leaving more and more jobs. They called it "The Great Resignation," but I just called it "Great." At long last, workers had the power and managers were dancing to our tune.

Now, the music has stopped. The Great Resignation has been replaced by The Great Apprehension. Suddenly, companies that once were focused on hiring are now absorbed with firing — and all of us layabouts have started worrying about layoffs.

Or so I learned in "How to Deal with Layoff Anxiety," a recent article by Melody Wilding in The Harvard Business Review.

"More than half of U.S. companies actively reduced headcount," Wilding writes, "or plan to in the coming months."

If it's any comfort, allow me to point out that you have plenty of company. As Wilding also reports, "nearly 80% of American workers are scared about their job security as recession concerns loom."

One natural reaction to job insecurity is to "retreat and pull back on your efforts." Unfortunately, the less you do, the more likely you are to be fired. The other common reaction is to "work harder and evermore frantically." Alas, this can lead to the perception that you lack focus and discipline, another sure ticket to unemploymentville.

To put it simply, whether you work hard or hardly work, you can't win, and you definitely can be fired.

What is needed here is a set of guiding principles that will allow you to keep poking along at your normal pace while keeping the executioner from your cubicle door. The Harvard Business Review has suggestions, and I have suggestions about their suggestions. Let's get to work, shall we?

No. 1: Separate fact from fiction.

Just because you think it doesn't mean it's true. You're advised to "monitor your inner dialogue" to see if you are being paranoid or psychic. One good question to ask yourself: "Has your manager asked you to implement cost-saving measures?" For example, is management replacing all company-issued cellphones with orange-juice cans connected by string? On business trips, are you required to stay at the Motel 2? Have you been ordered to not use capital letters in your emails, since they suck up more electrons? These are definitely negative indicators. On the other hand, if you've been asked to use your break time to wax the boss' Tesla, that's a positive. Just remember to pick up the empty caviar tins rattling around in the back seat, and you've got real job security.

No. 2: Take constructive action.

Plug into the company infosphere. "Keep your ear to the ground about news of reorganizations or restructurings." Make sure your colleagues and managers know just how wonderful and important you are. At the same time, you are also advised to "set aside a few hours to make sure your resume, portfolio and LinkedIn profile are up-to-date."

That's in case they already know.

No. 3: Deploy defensive pessimism.

Consider what would happen if you did lose your job. Go with the worst-case scenario. This "helps harness anxiety instead of allowing it to harm you — a strategy known as 'defensive pessimism.'" If you can't think of anything awful about losing your job, focus instead on how terrible it will be if you keep your job. I call this "offensive pessimism." Embrace it totally and when you do get fired, you'll feel really good about it.

No. 4: Invest in self-complexity.

You are more than your job. You are a multifaceted, multifarious individual. Understand this and "when things at work aren't going well, you don't lose your entire sense of self."

Remind your complex self that you don't only screw up at work. You also screw up at home. You don't just have enemies at work, you have enemies everywhere. I'm not just talking about the goldfish you forgot to feed and the fiddle-leaf fig tree you neglected to water. I'm talking vampires and zombies.

With all the threats you face every day, the possibility of losing a job is nothing to fear. If you want something to feel apprehensive about, look over your shoulder.

Bob Goldman was an advertising executive at a Fortune 500 company. He offers a virtual shoulder to cry on at [email protected]. To find out more about Bob Goldman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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