Nothing to Fear?

Are you afraid of losing your job? Worried about the economy? It may not be such a bad thing. Fear can actually be a positive force when it makes you save up or borrow only what you really need. However, when fear contributes to losing sleep or having less fun, it's time to manage those concerns. Here's how to quiet that annoying voice in your head.

Schedule your stress—you arrange time for everything else in your planner, so why not? Choose a time to worry about money, maybe 15 minutes on your way to work, to keep negative thoughts contained. If they do pop up, tell them it's not their turn yet. Letting these ideas slip in will cause you to lose focus and be less productive.

Make a worst-case scenario list, a plan for a crisis. Be creative! One possible solution is to give up one of your gas-guzzling machines and dust off your bike. As you save money and get exercise traveling where you need to go, you’ll be helping the environment by contributing less carbon emissions. Feel secure—you do have things that you can fall back on.

Do you have more tips on how to keep the fear factor in check? [Forbes]