Success in HR often comes with a hidden job: absorbing everyone else’s anxiety. You’re expected to soothe, steady, and “make it okay”, even when what people are feeling is a normal response to real pressure and uncertainty.

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. David Rosmarin offers a practical reframe: not all anxiety is the same. Some anxiety does require professional support, but much of what shows up at work is an emotional signal, not a diagnosis. When leaders learn to recognize what anxiety is communicating, they can stop playing whack-a-mole with stress, build healthier trust on teams, and create a culture that performs without pretending certainty exists.

You’ll also hear David’s simple four-step process to work with anxiety constructively, identifying what’s underneath it, sharing it in a way that builds connection, embracing it as resilience-building, and letting go of what can’t be controlled.

About our guest

Dr. David Rosmarin is a clinical psychologist, author, and Associate at Harvard Medical School, and the founder of the Center for Anxiety. His work focuses on helping people rethink anxiety not only as something to treat clinically when needed, but as a normal human experience that can be used to thrive — a perspective especially relevant in today’s high-pressure workplaces.

Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Rosmarin’s four-step framework (public resource) Dr. David Rosmarin
• Dr. Rosmarin’s site + newsletter - Dr. David Rosmarin
• Book: Thriving with Anxiety - Amazon
• TED Talk: How to make anxiety your friend TED

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