Helpful ways to deal with Career Anxiety

No one had imagined that the world would turn upside down due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The last few months have spared no one. Working professionals and recent graduates have been facing a tough time as the job market is really slow, and employees are either being laid off or are not able to get jobs.  

There are two kinds of career anxiety, broadly classified by Edward Schein (Professor Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management): Learning anxiety and survival anxiety. 

In 2002, Schein defined learning anxiety in the Harvard Business Review as “Learning anxiety comes from being afraid to try something new for fear that it will be too difficult, that we will look stupid in the attempt, or that we will have to part from old habits that have worked for us in the past.” Basically, it refers to the anxiety we face when we think of all that we will have to learn as part of the new roles we might have to take up in our careers. 

On the other hand, survival anxiety is described by Schein as “the horrible realization that in order to make it, you’re going to have to change.” 

Once you have been able to identify what kind of anxiety you’re experiencing, it will be easier for you to take the necessary steps to tackle it. Read on to find out how you can deal with career anxiety during these unprecedented times. 

1) Reflect on yourself 

In all the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often fail to take time out for ourselves. It is really important to set aside some time for yourself and reflect on your choices, decisions, and priorities. Self-reflection is a really powerful tool that can help you realign your thoughts, and give you clarity about what you actually want to do in the future. It enables you to prioritize the important aspects of your life, and can also give you a new direction to the way you think about your career. 

2) Invest time in yourself and upskill 

If you are a professional who has been affected negatively by the current situation, you can try and use this time to upskill rather than worrying excessively about the future. You can take up various professional courses, and can also try freelancing or working part-time, to gain experience in your field of interest. All these experiences will be really helpful in your career, once the job market normalizes, and you can then leverage these varied experiences to land the job of your choice. 

3) Seek professional help 

Anxiety can get really difficult to handle, and if you feel that you are in a similar situation, it is best to go for therapy and seek professional help. This will help you learn effective ways of keeping your anxiety in check, and will also provide a fresh perspective for you to look at the things that are bothering you. It is really important to follow through with the entire process, in order to get best results. 

4) Embrace Change 

As it is rightly said, ‘Change is the only constant.’ It might be really difficult to embrace change, and accept the uncertainties that come with it, but remember, this is what life is all about. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the first step in embracing change. in embracing change. It is a great opportunity to lern and grow, so accept the change, and adapt gracefully! 

We hope you find these tips helpful! Try these simple ways of dealing with career anxiety, and you will surely be able to figure out your way forward. 

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