If you are contemplating a career change due to job loss or otherwise, you aren't alone. You also aren't alone if anxiety seems to be complicating your ability to move forward.
Media sources recount the country's unemployment numbers daily. Graphics about the rising numbers of shuttering businesses and lost revenue are troubling. Soundbites from worried employers and employees are enough to keep anyone searching for a job pacing the floor at night.
It's no wonder that you worry, under normal circumstances, career/job changes involve loads of uncertainty. With a pandemic and a shifting economy impacting the job market, you may be experiencing worry and overwhelm like never before.
There is no shame in acknowledging those concerns.
Fortunately, there are ways to manage your anxiety and proceed with your plan to apply for work. With self-awareness, support, and a plan, you can take control of your future.
Anxious and Applying for Work? Career Tips to Help You Move Forward
Accept What Is
Anxiety runs amok when we won't accept the current reality. The truth is you cannot change the pandemic, its impact on your career, or the fact that you need new work. Accept these truths.
If you don’t, unchecked anxiety can adversely affect much of your thinking. Interaction with other people and your ability to make sound decisions may be hindered.
If you're like most people, your financial security and self-worth may feel tightly linked to your work. It's difficult to feel calm when making a change if you're consumed with changes you can't control.
Applying for work is a vulnerable process. Resist the urge to succumb to negativity and “what ifs” that could hold you back and feed self-doubt.
Don't Underestimate the Need for Self-Care
The pandemic changed the way we live. So much time distanced from others may have exacerbated some poor habits and compromised your body and mind. Anxiety can lead to a cycle of upset and overreaction that fosters bodily tension, pain, and fatigue.
As you apply for work, pay attention to self-care. It is vital to remain in tune with your health and wellness needs. Routinely slow down your thoughts and body. Take time to relax and pay attention to your muscles and breath. Simple, intentional efforts to strike an internal balance is crucial. Self-care is a useful part of supporting calm and the ability to gauge what steps you should take in the job search process.
Let Go of “Shoulds” and Self-Comparison
When it comes to career planning or transitioning, it's important to identify self-limiting thought patterns. If you previously suffered from anxiety, you may already experience the tendency to compare yourself to others. Job searching can easily tap into existing self-esteem issues. Any anxiety you have about who you are, your abilities, and your accomplishments may be triggered.
To keep those worries from becoming debilitating, it's important to combat racing thoughts and ideas about how things "should" be. With self-compassion and a willingness to create space for yourself, you can better face the job market and your feelings. Start by giving social media and outside advice a break. Take time to examine your particular expectations for work, shape your goals, and plan a job search that meets your own needs.
Allow Others to Support You
Anxiety is so challenging because uncertainty feels intolerable, especially as it pertain to income. However, to productively seek work, the capacity to notice unproductive thoughts and replace them with healthier ones can make all the difference.
Of course, this isn’t easy to do on your own. Support from others matters. Share your struggles with safe, non-judgmental people. Be sure to connect with like-minded workers, online support groups, and/or mentors as well. Their viewpoints can help relieve anxiety and keep things in perspective.
Finally, Consider Compassionate Care
Change isn't easy. You are forging a new path. There is no shame in seeking guidance.
Applying for work at this time may require a measure of emotional flexibility, courage, and resilience that you didn't anticipate. It's okay to feel the weight of that.
Therapy can help you work through negative thoughts. It can teach you how to replace them with lasting, positive ones. Soon, you'll find that you improve your reactions to setbacks and manage difficult emotions better. As you work toward the job you want, anxiety will wane and your confidence will rise.
Remember, you have a right to make a living and a less anxious life. You can make both happen. Let's meet together online. As a team, we can help you move forward and thrive. Please read more about anxiety treatment and contact us soon for a consultation.