Tips for Managing Anxiety During Job Transitions

You’ve already done the hardest part: making the brave decision to say goodbye to a toxic workplace. Now you deserve to reclaim your confidence and leave the baggage of a negative environment behind you. Here’s how to heal, forge ahead, and be successful in your new role: 1️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. Moving on from a job – toxic or not – is a loss, so give yourself space to grieve. Consider a releasing ritual, such as writing a “goodbye” letter (that you don’t send), archiving or deleting your work files, or shredding old documents. 2️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. Channel your energy into improving your assertiveness skills so that you can speak up when you sense a project isn’t achievable or sustainable in your new role. Put what you learned from your last role to good use by clearly communicating your boundaries and expectations. 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀. Pay attention to situations in your new job that feel familiar because they bring you back to old stress reactions. Identifying specific situations that are likely to emotionally trigger you can give you power to make a plan to deal with them. Common triggers include being excluded, feeling helpless, or perceived rejection. 4️⃣ 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. The brain is always on watch for potential danger, but this especially true following trauma. You can rewire this tendency through savoring, a psychological technique that involves turning positive, fleeting moments into positive experiences and beliefs. Spend 5 mins a day reflecting on the highlights or think about the next day and all the good things that could happen. With patience and self-compassion, you can rise above and become more resilient than ever before. #toxicworkplace #toxicworkplace #careeradvice #mentalhealth

How you respond to stress is directly correlated to your level of success in your career and in life. After countless sleepless days, I found a 5-step formula to help me through it: How you respond to these critical moments will make or break you. I'm sharing the 5-part thought process I go through when my stress levels redline. Feel free to bookmark this if it's helpful: STEP 1) Accept the situation The first step is to accept the reality of the situation you're dealing with. Accepting the situation allows you to RESET YOUR EXPECTATIONS and move forward with a newly defined level of "success" that you can meet. *Breathe STEP 2) Remove the emotion Try to separate your emotions from it. By removing the emotional component, you can approach the problem more rationally and make clearer decisions. *Breathe STEP 3) Analyze objectively Why did this happen? Maybe it's because you failed to get back to them on time, or your competition is just better. Use this "failure" as input to improve! Process the reality of that, then go off and do what you need to do– believing that you will do what it takes. *Breathe STEP 4) Maintain an objective mindset   Your mindset determines how you relate to and deal with adversity. Approach challenges with a long-term optimistic mindset, rather than a negative one. An objective mindset allows you to see the situation clearly, assess the facts, and find an effective solution. *Breathe STEP 5) Avoid reacting from a place of fear I know, you want to respond quickly but you should probably rethink that so you don't make any impulsive decisions that can hurt you or your business. Instead, take a moment to breathe, process the situation, and think through your actions before responding. You'll notice there's one common thread that ties the steps together. You need to breathe. Breathing helps to calm the mind in that moment of fear, uncertainty, doubt, panic, or anxiety. When those things arise, you have to center yourself back to where your heart rate decreases and your mind isn't racing like crazy. ➝ Centering yourself physically allow you to make the best decisions mentally. Think about the last time you felt a visceral response to a nasty email from a customer. You want to retaliate with choice words of your own. But that helps nobody. When you're able to run through the above steps, you might be able to pull some helpful feedback out of that email. And you can move on with your day! You won't need this post until you do, but when you do - please re-read it. Derive confidence from this process. Know that you are capable. Control what you can control. Let go of what you can't. What's your best stress management technique? 

Trauma bonding was never a good thing, and high stress shouldn't be "the nature of the beast." Left unchecked, chronic stress can have serious health implications and it's important for us as professionals to maintain a healthy balance even during the hustle. Here's a mix of things that I implement (or look forward to implementing) to help with stress levels: 1. Master Your Schedule: Time management is a superpower and life skill. You'd be surprised how much disorganization at work can start to pour into your personal life. Put blocks in your calendar to get work done and also build in some recharge periods for yourself. 2. Practice Mindfulness: When you feel overly anxious, don't work through it. Instead, take a moment to breathe, clear your mind or even close your eyes for a moment of recentering. 3. Move Your Body: Not everyone can hit the gym daily and that's fine. Find other ways to incorporate movement into the day. Instead of ordering lunch/dinner take a walk to a local restaurant, stretch at your desk, or even take walking meetings. 4. Lean on your support system: Your work besties, family, or even therapist are there for you to vent, laugh, or even get an outside perspective. 5. Fully Unplug When Necessary: Be strict on boundaries around work time vs. personal time. Avoid checking emails/messages at all hours of the day and pursue hobbies/interests that are just for you! Needless to say, stress is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to run the show. Take care of yourself and set realistic expectations while finding pockets of calmness throughout the day.