As I sit writing this, I am listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s new song “The Rose Song”, its for a preteen TV show but I am convinced this young girl cannot write nor sing a bad song. Anyways, I digress. I wanted to take some time to write about adjusting to work and transitioning from a school environment to an internship or professional setting.
For me, the hardest my anxiety hits is when I start a new job. The thoughts begin to rush in.
What if my boss yells at me?
What if I mess up?
What if I hate my job?
What if I have no work/life balance?
What if I am under-qualified?
What if your coworkers hate me?
What if I get fired?
This plagued me for years, even for smaller, part time jobs. I was so fearful of being yelled at, for messing up, and for failing. For longer shifts (8+ hours), I used to relentlessly complain or dread the early morning wake up, and the long day ahead. That long shift was equated to a shift with plenty of times to mess up, cause a scene, or fail miserably. I would visibly picture me getting yelled at by a boss or coworker, and the nerves and stress would skyrocket.
When I started my first post-grad job at the start of the month, I was terrified. This was my first BIG TIME job. I formulated this idea that there was no room to make mistakes, and that I would have no more free time to spend with my friends or boyfriend. I worried that I wasn’t good enough for the job, that my position at a tech publishing company would be too much for my Psychology degree to handle.
If you are like me and have similar thoughts to these. Here is your reminder that it is totally normal to have them. It is never easy to start a new job and be at the bottom of the totem pole, however it is so important to remind yourself that those self-defeating thoughts that ruminate your mind are LYING TO YOU.
For one thing, there may be other individuals who are starting the same time as you, and learning the process just like you are. If not, you are not the only person in the world that is starting a new job. The first few weeks are all about learning, and if you are starting online/in person, many of your superiors will understand that you are just starting, and be supportive of your growth within your position.
Here are some tips that have helped me in my transition from school into the professional world. However these tips can be applicable to whatever state of your life you are in. Whether you are just graduating high school and entering the workforce, whether your’e beginning an internship, or are starting a job while being in school at the same time.
5 WAYS TO COMBAT WORK ANXIETY
#1: You have more free time than you think
This was one of my biggest fears before starting my job. I was so worried about working all day and never having time in my day to do things I love or spend time with the people I love. However, I never looked at the bigger picture. There is before work, and there is after work, usually consisting of multiple hours total to initiate plans, or save time for you.
For example: before work, I will make sure I do at least one thing for myself. As a sacrifice, I wake up about 20 minutes earlier to run to Dunkin Donuts and grab an iced coffee, or take time to listen to a podcast before starting work. After work, I try to make plans with a close friend to get dinner, go for a drive, or a quick walk around the neighborhood. I just bought a cycling membership to go and workout with my best friend before we start work. As much as you don’t think there will be any time, there always is. What is important to remember is that it is what you make out of the time you are given.
#2: Prioritize sleep, nutrition and movement
One of the best remedies for me on a high-anxiety day is getting a full 8 hours of sleep. I find that the more hours of sleep I get, the better I can function socially and intellectually. I wake up with a better attitude to take on a day of work, and almost see a mindset shift in my daily functioning.
Second, eating nutritious meals is extremely important. Food is fuel as they say, and if you are not nourishing your body properly, you will feel it during the day. I recommend eating three filling and substantial (high protein) meals. For example, I try to have eggs and toast with fruit in the AM. For lunch, I try to make couscous with veggies or have rice with some sweet potato and bell pepper. If you don’t have time to make food in advance (meal prep), I find that crackers and sliced cheese and grapes, or crackers with peanut butter and apples do the trick. I find that a good balance of carbs and protein are key! I find snacking on high magnesium foods (cashews, almonds, etc.) help give me some additional energy during my usual 2-4pm slump.
Third is movement. For many of us, a job requires sitting at a desk for long periods of the day. During the day, I try to take at least a 2-3 minutes of every hour to get up and move around my room. After work, I love to take a long walk around my neighborhood and listen to some calming music or podcast or take 10-15 minutes to walk my dog. The beauty of movement is that you can make it what you want. If a one hour HIIT workout is something that helps, do that! If you’d rather do a quick 10 minute yoga flow, do that! Whatever time of movement you choose, you may start to notice your stress levels decreasing!
#3: Everyday won’t be a cake walk
This is a hard thing to swallow, even for me. However, there are going to be times at work when things aren’t going the way they should, or you may be just having a bad day. However, for every bad day, there is ALWAYS a good day. Many of them to be exact. Reminding yourself that there may be bumps in the road can prepare you for the normalcy of work life and help better understand that we are human, and nothing is perfect. Some of your hardest days have already been lived, and you survived them! Remember that. It is only temporary, and this bad day won’t last.
#4: Take notes
This may seem implied. However, taking notes, especially when starting a job can help more than anything. Be mindful of the takeaways from training sessions, write down tips your supervisors/coworkers provide. Take time to genuinely listen to the trainings or look at the directions of the task presented to you. After recording the notes, it may help to type them up electronically, or use dictation speech and have google or word do it for you (this is my new favorite thing to use)! Having a go to guide with a compilation of everything you have been learning can help immensely when you start to transition into the daily activities of your job.
#5: Ask Questions
You may think that you’re being annoying to your coworkers or supervisor, but I promise you you aren’t. Professionals would much rather want people to ask questions earlier rather than later, because it can help with job performance over time. If you are confused, that is okay and even normal! Asking questions to find a quick solution will only help you become a better worker and more efficient with your tasks and assignments. Plus, it may remove a margin of error that could occur later on.
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