The Psychology of Getting Uncomfortable at Work
WORKPLACE BEHAVIORAL SKILLS WORKSHOP
A 60-minute interactive workshop on avoidance, overthinking, perfectionism and taking action when work feels uncomfortable.
"You don't have to feel ready to take action."
Practical Exercises
Guided Reflection
Interactive Presentation
60 MINUTES
Facilitated by Sam Pinkus, LMSW
Sometimes the barrier isn't knowing what to do. It's the discomfort of actually doing it.
THE PROBLEM
Employees run into uncomfortable moments every day. Sending an important email. Asking a question. Speaking up, making a decision,
having a hard conversation.
That discomfort leads to avoidance, overthinking, over-preparing and perfectionism. Behaviors that look productive and quietly eat time and mental energy.
Behavioral psychology,
turned into skills people use at work.
THE WORKSHOP
Participants learn to recognize when discomfort is driving their behavior, and how to move forward without waiting to feel completely confident or ready.
This 60-minute interactive session translates principles from behavioral psychology into practical workplace skills.
What participants will learn
RECOGNIZE
Avoidance that looks productive
Their own personal avoidance patterns
UNDERSTAND
Why avoidance feels good in the short term
How overthinking and perfectionism keep us stuck
PRACTICE
Approaching uncomfortable situations
Taking action before feeling "ready"
THE FRAMEWORK
The Micro-Exposure Method
01
NOTICE
What am I avoiding?
Five steps people can run in the moment, on any task they've been putting off.
02
NAME
What am I afraid will happen?
03
SHRINK
What’s the smallest step I can take?
04
DO
Act while uncomfortable.
05
LEARN
What happened?
THE GOAL ISN’T TO ELIMINATE DISCOMFORT
It's to get better at moving forward
while uncomfortable.
"Am I actually not ready, or am I just uncomfortable?"
YOUR FACILITATOR
Sam Pinkus, LMSW
Most workplace wellness speakers teach motivation. Sam is a licensed clinician. Her background is in evidence-informed behavioral approaches, including cognitive behavioral strategies and exposure-based principles.
The Micro-Exposure Method grows out of her clinical work with anxiety and OCD, where exposure-based approaches are a first-line treatment. The workshop takes those same principles and applies them to the everyday avoidance that shows up at work.
WHO IT’S FOR
HR teams, people leaders and L&D programs looking for something practical, evidence-informed and immediately useful.
TEAM DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYEE LEARNING
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
WELLNESS PROGRAMMING
HOW TO BOOK
01
Send an inquiry
Tell me about your team, size and what you're hoping to address.
02
I will follow up personally
A quick call to talk through fit, format and timing.
03
Get it on the calendar
Virtual or in person… we get to work.
This workshop is educational and skills-based and is not psychotherapy or individualized mental-health treatment.