How to Overcome New Job Anxiety

2 years ago

Every job change, which can be from one company to another, from an old role to a new job, from unemployment to re-employment, brings with it an important emotional state accompanied by stress, anxiety, and insecurity. "Whoever leaves the old road for the new one knows what he leaves but does not know what he finds ..."

The initial weeks at a new job are a time of transition, but they also give you a chance to show what kind of worker you are. Make sure to show that you are a key player, not a poor hiring pick.

the first period in the new role does not always turn out to be a walk in the park: we find a lot of information to memorize, a new context to know, the performance anxiety of having to demonstrate that one is able to carry out all the assigned tasks. It does not matter if we are already experts and if they have hired us precisely because of our experience, there will certainly be new things to learn and even those we already know will have to be adapted to the new context.

It is important in these cases to have the situation under control and try to manage stress in the best way.

Recognize that this is a big change

Starting a new job is widely regarded as one of the top ten life-changing (i.e. stressful) events. Like getting married, divorced, or having a baby, starting in a new company has a way of significantly altering your everyday life.

A different job means a new role, but it also means many other considerable changes: a different company, new people to meet, a new manager and management style, a foreign culture, new hours, and a different benefits package to learn.

The changes can be overwhelming. Even the seemingly "small" aspects of starting a new job - the travel, who to have lunch with, finding the restrooms - can cause some stress.

Feeling anxiety is normal

It is important to realize that it is perfectly normal to feel anxious. Things are going to be different, and it is natural to feel nervous about changes. You may even find yourself doubting your decision to quit your previous job, but don't react too quickly. The fact remains that any change of situation or context suffered or chosen generates concern. The greater the anxiety, the more hampered our ability to adapt. How to tame our fear of the unknown? by considering this anxiety as natural and legitimate.

So be clear about your own anxieties. It is normal that, when we start a new job, we feel certain anxieties. Fear of not being up to the task, fear of not being good enough, of regretting your choice, of not fitting in, etc. These fears are a reflection of your anxieties but in no way a reflection of reality. However, they can direct your gaze and your behavior in this direction if however, you take them as a compass. Know how to spot these fears that come in you during the day and push them away with your reason.

Listen and observe carefully

On the first day of work and for the entire duration of the insertion, it is good that your attitude is based on listening and observing the environment around you.

In this phase it is not necessary to try to be the center of attention at all costs to emerge and be noticed: it is a premature need whose only result is to increase anxiety and agitation; only with time and experience will you be able to prove what you really are worth. For this purpose, therefore, in the beginning, it is essential to capture everything that happens around you, make an effort to remember the names of colleagues, understand the nature of their relationships and become familiar with the procedures in which you will be engaged.

Don't be afraid to ask for clarification - without being intrusive! - and the opinion of others and, only at a later time, also express your point of view and propose solutions where necessary. Gradually entering a new context with a “soft” approach is the best way to be able to adapt to its dynamics and be successfully accepted.

Socialize and be positive

Knowledge of the other plays a decisive role in wiping out unfounded doubts and worries, the fear of being judged, and the fear that one's own skills are not equal to those of others. For this reason, socializing with colleagues and superiors is essential: from the first day look for opportunities for comparison and integration, spend the moments of pause and lunchtime with the members of your team and interact with them always keeping in mind that, you have been chosen for that position, you have the right skills to fill it worthily. Self-confidence, self-esteem, and motivation are built not only with experience but also by rationally reflecting on the nature of one's skills and on the importance of the results achieved up to a certain moment of one's path, both human and professional!

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