According to the most recent U.S. Labor Department statistics, the recession has resulted in a loss of over 4.56 million jobs in less than 2 years, and although the recession has been declared "over" by many economists, the country will continue to see high unemployment for the months ahead. So how do you deal with the uncertainty and downright stress of wondering if your position is secure?

"Expecting that people won’t worry about their jobs in this economy isn’t realistic. But there is a point at which worrying leads to self-defeating behavior. You have to manage worry and one way is to stay busy," says Bill Kahnweiler, associate professor of human resources at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. "And a good strategy, whether times are tough, rough or great, is to convey pretty clearly that you are committed not only to your own career but also making your employer more successful."

Helping your company helps your job

You go to work every day and assume you know the ins and outs of your company and your job. But do you really? Now is a great time to stop making assumptions, put on the proverbial "thinking cap," and see what you can do to solve problems or contribute in some new way to your organization.

"The best shift we can all make during this time is to move from a reactive worrisome posture to a proactive mindset," says Brandon M. Smith, senior lecturer in the practice of management communications at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. According to him, a proactive approach to your job includes striving every day to show your position has relevance.

"That means asking questions and getting curious about your organization and the problems it is facing. It is about trying to proactively offer solutions on how you might be able to do things differently to meet the needs of the organization before you are told to make changes. It is also about asking yourself, ‘why does the organization need me now more than ever?’ and trying to establish that," says Smith, who is also a principal in Atlanta-based Core Growth Partners.

This proactive approach works no matter what kind of job you have -- whether you work in an executive suite or in the service industry. A case in point: Smith was staying in one of Atlanta’s well-known high-end hotels recently and he struck up conversations with several of the employees, including the buffet chef and the valet. All of them told Smith they were concerned about the hotel falling on hard times and were actively working to bring in more customers. They were clearly proactively finding ways to provide the best customer service possible.

"These were behaviors you might expect from the management team, but not from the staff. This awareness of the situation and attitude towards making proactive change gave each of those employees something they could do and an understanding on how that would benefit each of them as well as the overall organization," he says. "In the end, each of them thanked me for staying. I'll definitely return."

Take on new projects, learn new skills

One way to keep your work interesting -- and possibly more secure, too -- is to volunteer to take on extra work or a new project. However, Kahnweiler cautions there are things to consider before you declare "I can do it!"

"It does help to volunteer to do extra work or start a new project, but only if it is realistic and reasonable and you aren’t going to overload yourself by taking on more. In some companies, due to lay-offs, a lot of people are already now doing the equivalent of several jobs," he says.

Bottom line: don’t take on so much that you can’t do the work well. "You will be self-defeating if you say you can do something, and it ends up you can’t. It’s important to recognize that we all have some blind spots and distortions about what we can do," says Kahnweiler. "So it’s a good idea for some of us to get a reality check from another trusted source -- whether our manager, spouse, friend, or someone outside the organization who is your mentor."

If you have the time and energy, consider achieving competency around additional skills, taking classes, or learning the basics of a new language. The result could benefit your current position in the workplace and be helpful to your overall value.

"This is absolutely a fantastic time to be preparing for the next season of growth," says Brown. "Those kind of proactive moves to develop your skills, confidence, and relationships are really smart steps to be taking today."

Turn down the "on-the-job worry"

There’s nothing pleasant about a workplace where there are people who are constantly worrying and stressed. You can help by steering clear of rumors and sticking to facts. "Whether rumors are justified or not, bad news spreads fast, and people are going to be affected by that. It’s not uncommon for one person to say ‘I heard layoffs may come’ and, by the fifth person who repeats this, the news has changed to ‘I heard we are all going to lose our jobs in half an hour.’ It’s helpful to minimize this ‘catastrophizing,’ even if you can’t totally eradicate it," says Kahnweiler.

But what’s the best strategy if you find yourself constantly anxious and worried about your current job situation? "The problem with unproductive worry is that it is -- duh! -- unproductive," Kahnweiler says. "Most of us are capable of taking fear to an extreme level, and that’s not in our best interest or that of your business. Staying busy will help keep your mind off your worries and make you more important to your organization. Remember, if others are allowing worries to affect their performance but you don’t, you’ll stand out, and good managers will remember that," he adds.

Brown points out that the stress some employees are feeling is unsustainable long term. To deal with it, he recommends that you discuss your concerns with your manager. Assuming he or she is not the problem, look to them for guidance and a possible solution. You never know what creative solution can come out of that discussion. Alternatively, you might discuss your concerns with Human Resources.

The bottom line, says Kahnweiler, is that "The people who tend to land on their feet are the ones that are being proactive. That means doing things to manage your own work life, in any economic climate."

Sherry Baker is a freelance writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She also wrote "Halloween Office Party Tips" for this issue of Synergy. Reach Sherry at featuredstories@adamcorp.com.