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Think of a back-up plan. Do you remember when your mother told you that you should learn to type, so you can have typing to fall back on? Think of a back-up plan that doesn’t make you want to throw up. You don’t have to utilize it -- in fact, it’s unlikely that you will -- but one of the reasons we tend to feel so afraid is that we don’t know what we’ll do if we fail. Eliminate that confusion. Figure out what you would do if your warehouse burnt down or your husband left you or you suddenly lost the use of your mouse hand. Since trying to get rid of fear is a pretty useless exercise, get rid of the things you’re afraid of instead. If you’re afraid of the unknown, stop trying to stop being afraid, and simply make the unknown known.

Stop. If nothing else is working, or you’re too tired and overwhelmed to try, just stop. Play dead. Give up for a while. I know that you think your whole life will be over if you do this, but you’re wrong. I dropped out of high school and nobody died. Then I dropped out of college and still nobody died. Sometimes, you need to stop, and it’s better you make the choice consciously than having your body make it for you. Regroup. Refresh. Start over. Sometimes it’s all you can do.

Now go. Get some more Chardonnay. Start feeling better.