Engaging in activities at work that are outside of your comfort zone can elicit feelings of fear. However, fear can be a valuable emotion, writes cognitive behavioral therapist Joanna Hardis. Here is how you can work through this feeling in the workplace.

• Distinguish between discomfort and fear. Just because something is uncomfortable doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. If the situation is truly not dangerous, remind yourself: “discomfort, not danger.”
• Don’t try to eliminate fear. When you try to suppress a feeling, you end up experiencing more of it. Developing courage and being able to function when you feel fear is a better goal. Let go of trying to change, control, judge, or resist fear. Instead, try to redirect your attention to another activity.
• Treat fear as a natural emotion. People often view fear as a weakness. Emotions are largely out of our control, but we can control how we react to them.
• Avoid “what-ifs.” Instead of mulling over all that might go wrong, make a “what is happening” list. For instance, if you are scared by turbulence on a plane, you can note that oxygen masks haven’t dropped, the pilot hasn’t announced any danger, and other passengers are calmly reading or on their phones.

For more advice, read “Fear Better: 5 Ways to Relate to Discomfort Differently.”