xxxxxxi) Fear
Fear is part of our survival mechanism and is linked with our amygdala (part of the brain that controls fear, rage and reproductive drive).
"...When the amygdala registers a threat to our safety, arteries harden to handle an increased blood flow to our limbs in preparation for a fight-or-flight-or-freeze response. In this state, we lose access to the social engagement system of the limbic brain and executive function of the prefrontal cortex, inhibiting creativity and the drive for excellence..."
Sunnie Giles, 2016
The amygdala provides the basis for resistance, ie reasons not to do something differently and to stay with status quo, etc. Conquering fear is learning to live with it and go ahead and do things; to accept feelings of insecurity and discomfort by doing things differently.
. The best work environments are allowed to be personalised by staff, ie decorated as they see fit. Research has shown (Fiona Smith, 2011k) that when this occurs, well-being and productivity lift by over 30% and stay there. Thus when managers start rearranging staffs' stuff and work environment, the results can be disastrous to productivity. Generally a "clean" environment with its absence of decoration and its cluster of tidy desks is not a good environment to work in.
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