Q. With AI becoming more prominent across banking, along with the recent cyber incident and rise in fraud, I’m starting to question how secure our roles really are. It feels like things are changing fast. How do you manage the anxiety around potentially being replaced or left behind?
What you’re experiencing is a very human response to uncertainty.
Our brains are wired to crave predictability. In fact, research shows that job uncertainty can take a greater toll on our wellbeing than job loss itself because ambiguity is processed as a threat. When you layer in cyber incidents, rising fraud, and rapid advances in AI, it can feel like the ground is constantly shifting.
The instinctive response is to try and regain control – to overthink, catastrophise, or resist what’s happening. But paradoxically, resistance tends to amplify distress. The more we fight uncertainty, the more consuming it becomes.
A more effective approach is to shift your focus from certainty to capability.
You may not be able to control how technology evolves or how the industry changes, but you can control how you respond within it. When we act as though we are powerless, we slip into narratives that leave us feeling stuck or at the mercy of external forces.
Instead, focus on what remains within your influence.
In times of disruption, human skills become more valuable – not less. Clients still need judgement, reassurance and trust, particularly as risks like fraud increase and systems become more complex.
It’s also worth asking a different question: not “What if this goes wrong?”, but “How can I position myself to navigate this well?”
Uncertainty isn’t going away. But the more you build adaptability, stay engaged, and take ownership of your response, the more stable and confident you’ll feel – regardless of how the industry evolves.
If you have a question that you’d like answered by psychotherapist Bronwyn Penhaligon in the Your Health in Mind section of The Adviser, you can email your question in confidence to [email protected].
Or if you feel you need more support, you can visit penhaligons.com.au to schedule a one-on-one appointment.
