Overview: Anxiety
Anxiety is tension or worry with physical effects such as increased blood pressure, dizziness, trembling, and sweating. People with anxiety disorders tend to get recurring, intrusive, and intense thoughts or concerns that hinder them from living life to the fullest.
Anxiety can be categorized in many ways. Our focus below is on a common type of anxiety that affects many people today.
Career Anxiety
As the name suggests, career anxiety is anxiety originating from career-related problems. The anxiety could be linked to choosing a career, changing careers, being stuck in a career, or job security in a current career.
Career anxiety affects many millennials or Gen Ys today (people aged between 25 and 40 years today). This age bracket represents people who have just started their careers up to those who are 15 years into their careers.
During the Covid-19 pandemic peak in April 2020, unemployment hit a record 14.8% in the US. Many people have been rendered jobless globally by the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these people have been forced to reinvent themselves or venture into other careers. Career anxiety is a big problem for such people.
However, work-related anxiety has always existed. It is quite normal for people to be bothered by thoughts about their career at some point. For instance, you may have wondered if you are in the right job or if you are doing enough to get promoted. Job security is also a source of anxiety for many.
Career anxiety can give rise to other problems like sleeplessness. There is a clear link between anxiety and sleep disorders. It is a daunting task sleeping with anxiety, so how do you deal with work-related anxiety that causes insomnia and other problems?
Dealing with Career Anxiety
The solution to anxiety is within us.
Step 1: Analyzing the anxiety
- Start by analyzing your worries on paper.
- What are you anxious about?
- Are you in the wrong career?
- Do you feel inadequate in your current job?
- Does your boss dislike you?
Answering these questions will give you insights into the source of your career anxiety.
Step 2: Address the root cause
Once you’ve analyzed the anxiety, it’s time to deal with the underlying cause/s.
- How can you stop worrying about your boss?
- What other job can you do with ease?
Step two is meant to help you find solutions to dealing with the root causes of work-related anxiety by coming up with a plan. If you foresee layoffs, you can plan a gradual transition. Focus on what you can do now to reduce anxiety. Exploring your options and starting a job search or side business can reduce constant worrying about losing your job.
Step 3: Take care of your health and wellness
Selfcare is critical for fighting anxiety. You must deal with your physical and mental health to alleviate anxiety. Sleeping with anxiety isn’t healthy. You can focus on anxiety-related problems like stress that cause sleeplessness and compromise your health.
Exercising, maintaining a healthy diet, and meditating can decrease career anxiety levels significantly. Exercising and meditating are great ways of releasing stress. A healthy diet supplies the body with everything it needs to function optimally and keep health and wellness problems at bay.
Talking to professionals like therapists and career coaches is also recommended if you have problems identifying underlying personal and professional development problems and finding ideal solutions to those problems.
# Photo by samer daboul from Pexels
