If you're afraid to lose, the limit is too high. That should be a no-brainer.

You need to play at a limit where you're unafraid to push your edges. Go to nanolimits if you must (I recommend Poker Stars for $.05-$.10 to $.25-$.50 play). You might even consider creating a bankroll which you promise yourself to never replenish - if you lose half the roll, you move down in limit. Double the roll, move up. (That's worked for me so far.)

Have you considered that maybe you're overthinking? I would be afraid to read too many books while playing microlimit games, because different authors have different strategies, and that can mess with your thought processes. Try going back to one or two, and mentally reject any conflicting advice, at least until you get a handle on things.

Also, if you're multitabling, go back to single tables for a while, and spend all your "downtime" studying the other players.