Is AI Coming for My Job? 7 Tips to Help You Manage AI Anxiety

If you've ever read a headline like "AI Set to Revolutionise Industry X" and quietly thought, "Great. There goes my job," you’re not alone.

Whether you work in marketing, admin, finance, customer service or any role where computers are involved (so, most of us), AI is no longer something out of a sci-fi film - it’s here, in the real world, writing emails, analysing spreadsheets, and yes, occasionally making us wonder if we should become a TikTok influencer.

As someone who writes for a living, I had my own moment of mild existential crisis when I saw an AI tool produce a halfway decent article in seconds. But here's what I’ve learned since: AI isn’t here to steal your job. It’s here to change it. And with the right mindset, that change doesn’t have to be scary - it can actually be empowering.

1. Zoom out before you spiral

One of the worst things about AI anxiety is how instant it feels. You see one LinkedIn post about a new tool, and suddenly you’re imagining yourself unemployed and Googling van life.

Zoom out.
What has actually changed in your team in the last month? What’s really likely to change this year?

AI may evolve quickly, but workplace transformation tends to move in years, not days. Most companies are still figuring it out too.

2. Stop treating AI like a nemesis

It’s easy to feel uneasy when AI is talked about in vague, sweeping terms. But the truth is: AI isn’t your replacement. It’s your very fast, slightly clueless intern.

Instead of focusing on what AI might take away, try exploring what it could help you do better. Not for someone else’s job. Yours. When you bring it down to your own day-to-day tasks, it starts to feel a lot more helpful than harmful.

• In HR? You could use AI to draft job descriptions or summarise repetitive candidate queries - freeing up more time for people-focused work.
• In Finance? Try asking it to explain a complex term or break down a spreadsheet so it’s easier to present.
• In Customer Support? AI can help draft template responses or spot trends in incoming messages, helping you work smarter.

Try using tools to automate the admin, not replace the heart of your work. If it saves you 30 minutes a day, that’s a whole extra coffee break. Or time to do more meaningful work with a bit more headspace.

3. Redefine what ‘value’ looks like in your role

There’s a big difference between “AI can help with tasks” and “AI can replace you.” It’s easy to collapse the two. But remember: efficiency is not the same as value.

AI can process data and churn out templates. But it can’t build relationships, understand unspoken team dynamics, or read the room in a meeting. And yet, these are often the most valuable parts of any role.

If it’s helpful, make a list of all the things you achieved in a week without using AI. To start, ask yourself: What are the uniquely human parts of my job? Empathy? Creative problem-solving? Relationship-building? Here’s an example:

• I de-escalated a difficult conversation calmly.
• I spotted an inconsistency others missed.
• I created a sense of safety for my team.

Your value isn’t just in how fast you type - it’s in how you solve, connect, communicate and show up when things get tricky.

4. Create an ‘AI wins’ folder

This may sound silly but hear me out. I started a private note called “Things That AI Actually Helped Me Do” - and every time I use a tool to save time, untangle a tricky paragraph, or generate a quick headline list, I add it in.

Why? Because AI anxiety often makes us hyper-focus on the threat. Keeping a running list of helpful moments reframes the narrative. It becomes: “This tool saved me 20 minutes and helped me submit my work on time,” not “This tool is slowly replacing me.”

5. Talk to people, not just your search bar

“AI to take over thousands of jobs”

“Chatbots do in 10 seconds what took humans 3 hours”

“The robots are coming”

…right. No wonder we’re feeling twitchy.

If your AI info diet is mainly TikToks, doom-laden headlines, and that one very intense guy on LinkedIn… you’re not going to feel great.

Instead, chat with your manager or someone in your org who’s working with AI. Ask questions without pressure. What tools are people trying? What’s working? What’s wildly unhelpful? And most importantly – how is this going to affect your role? Most of them aren’t trying to eliminate jobs - they’re trying to make things less painful for teams.

When you hear about change from people you trust, it feels a lot less scary. Chances are, you’ll realise you’re not falling behind, you’re just in the same boat as everyone else.

6. Upskill without overwhelming yourself

The AI space moves fast. Blink and there’s a new tool doing something bizarrely specific like turning meeting notes into a song. You’re not supposed to keep up with everything.

Start small: Choose one thing or tool at a time to learn, don’t overwhelm yourself with five courses at once. Ask a colleague what they’re using. Follow a trusted newsletter or join a webinar related to your field and AI.

Think of it as futureproofing, not playing catch-up. Even learning how to ask better questions of an AI tool is a valuable skill in itself.

7. Set boundaries with tech

Just because AI can run 24/7 doesn’t mean you should. Tools are meant to support you - not create the expectation that you should work faster, longer or be reachable at midnight.

Be mindful of how AI changes your pace, and don’t lose the human rhythm of breaks, rest and the occasional moment of feeling clueless or experiencing some Friday afternoon brain fog. It’s okay for you to not have all the answers at the speed of AI.

Remember: AI doesn’t care, but you do

I once asked an AI to write copy for a nursery flyer. Technically, it was fine. Grammatically perfect. But emotionally? It felt like it had been written by a robot that’s never met a toddler. It took human empathy - knowing what parents actually care about - to make it meaningful.

AI isn’t passionate. Yes, it can mimic your tone and automate tasks, but it doesn’t care about your brand, your customers, or the people behind the numbers. You do.

AI might be changing how we work, but it’s not changing why we work. People still want connection, creativity, and support - from people.

So, before you panic-Google “jobs robots can’t do,” take a breath. You’re not being replaced. You’re being re-focused. And honestly? If AI wants to do the tedious admin, I’ve been putting off all week, be my guest.