Anyone’s first day on the job can be nerve-wracking and frightening. Confidence may be shattered by the lack of assurance. Fear of starting a new job is something that many people experience. Many people are overcome with uncertainties and negative ideas when they begin a new chapter in their professional life.
Our bodies and minds undergo a variety of changes during these transitions. We’ll also give you some pointers on how to deal with your emotions.
Is there something wrong with me that makes me fear starting a new job?
Fear and apprehension are two of our bodies’ natural protection mechanisms when confronted with danger or the perception of danger. They produce a stress response in our bodies that can cause physical, emotional and mental issues.
Symptoms in the body
New work anxiety can induce several physical symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, changes in appetite, muscle soreness, and restlessness. You may find it difficult to fall asleep or stay awake.
During a panic attack, you may experience shortness of breath, stomach cramps, lightheadedness, dizziness, and tremors in addition to your heart pounding.
Symptoms of the mind
The mental symptoms of new job anxiety may include persistent concern, racing thoughts, negativity, and feelings of impending doom or danger. You may find yourself irritated, on edge, and unable to focus on the task at hand. Your self-confidence and sense of control may also be shaken. Even if you’re working from home, starting a new job can cause you to feel nervous.
It’s the body’s natural response to a perceived threat, according to Pauline Yeghnazar Peck. There is always a degree of uncertainty when embarking on a new endeavor, regardless of whether the work is done remotely, in person, a comparable position you’ve previously held, or in something completely new and different.
It’s hard to know whether you’ll succeed, whether your coworkers will like you, whether your employer or manager will approve of your job, and more.
These unanswered questions set off a cascade of anxieties and phobias in our brains. When the body encounters something new or unusual, it frequently interprets the change as potentially harmful. This is a survival strategy that has worked for us throughout our evolutionary history.
To be clear, this is not a hint that something is wrong with you or your decision to accept the position; rather, it is totally normal and to be expected.
When starting a new work, what kinds of thoughts and feelings are common?
A wide range of emotions, including seemingly opposing ones, are common, according to the PYP. It’s normal to experience a range of emotions, including anxiety, excitement, overwhelm, doubt, and confidence, all at once.
You may be unsure if the work you have in mind is going to be as fulfilling as you had hoped. The dynamics of the workplace and whether or not you’ll fit in there are likely to be concerns on your mind.
This new employment may bring back memories of prior workplaces or jobs, as well as hopes that favourable qualities of those places will be recreated.
You may be unsure about the aspects of the job in which you will flourish and those in which you will face difficulties. Inquiring minds want to know if the company culture that was presented during the interview is in fact the company culture that workers experience.
What good does it do to be anxious before starting a new job? In what way is it harmful?
When we fear we’re in danger, our anxiety alarms go off (even if they’re not). Because it warns us and helps us prepare, it increases our chances of escaping harm and succeeding. As a result of our nervousness about a new job, we can take action that will help us succeed and be more effective in our new surroundings. Preparation and concentration are something we can work on while we train. We may also ask lots of questions, take notes, and proceed with some care and forethought.
As long as you’re paying attention to the alert and taking the appropriate action in response, these are excellent tools for easing worry.
But if your anxiety is so high that you are paralysed or self-destructive, it may be damaging. Anxiety is the polar opposite of a state of mind conducive to growth. Anxiety is a good motivator for being alert and cautious. You won’t be able to absorb anything if you consume too much.
How to deal with the fear of starting a new job?
New-job anxiety can be alleviated with the following advice. Depending on the individual and the scenario, some may be more effective than others..
1. jot down your feelings and thoughts in a journal.
Analyzing your triggers is the first step in controlling anxiety. Think about starting a notebook to record your innermost feelings and ideas. Whenever you have a fear or anxiety, write it down, noting the time and the context in which it occurred.
Here, you should record your thoughts and fears and keep track of when and when they occur. Some of your anxiety concerns and thoughts will likely remain a mystery, but you may be able to discover a pattern or trigger along the journey that helps explain your anxiety.
Do some self-reflection on how anxiety affects your body.
Your fight-or-flight reaction is activated when you’re feeling anxious, according to Harvard Health Publishing. To assist our ancestors deal with potentially life-threatening events, this mechanism provided the adrenaline and awareness they required.
Anxiety and stress can confuse the autonomic nervous system by sending conflicting messages. Our bodies and minds react to uncertainty and dread of the unknown as a threat. This can put us in a fight-or-flight mode that we don’t have an escape from.
Try rethinking what you’re thinking.
Harvard University’s Stress and Development Lab recommends a number of strategies to reframe your thoughts and acquire a new perspective on a problem. When you find yourself thinking negatively or anxiously, take a moment to reevaluate your ideas and find anything good about the circumstance.
You can also rationally analyse the circumstance to see if the anxiety you’re experiencing is justified. It’s possible to re-examine the circumstances that bring you concern.
