Negativity bias—our tendency to focus more on negative experiences—exists for a reason: Those slowest to spot the sabre-toothed tiger were the first to end up as its meal. Fast-forward 10,000 years, and our amygdala still struggles to distinguish between a snarky email and a life-threatening feline. We will overanalyze that message as though our survival depends on it.

The physical response to escaping a tiger and managing workplace stress is strikingly similar—racing heart, heightened alertness, a surge of cortisol. Our brains don’t differentiate between immediate physical danger and modern stressors. Throw in economic instability and political turmoil, and it’s no wonder we feel constantly on edge. So much of what we once knew to be true has been flipped on its head. Uncertainty is now our only certainty, and our central nervous systems are struggling to regulate.

Leaders are already juggling the pressures of growth, market expansion and team engagement. Doing that against a backdrop of uncertainty and pervasive anxiety........

© BIV