Career Change and Stress

The following is a guest blog post by Kristen Brown, Founder and President, Happy Hour Effect LLC…

In today’s economy, the word “job” is a loaded one. It can bring about emotions of fear, anxiety, anger or just relief that we have one. For many, the challenges of today’s employment market mean career transitions, new jobs, burnout from overwork or job losses. And yet they all mean one thing – change. And with change, comes stress. But why? Change brings with it two main opportunities.

1. Fear and anxiety over the changes taking place.
2. Excitement and anticipation about the new opportunities ahead of us.

Which of these paths we choose to take when we are faced with a job transition is up to us. We have control over our reactions to the inevitable career challenges we will face throughout our lives. And yet, it is most common for us to fight change and stay in our comfort zone, even if that comfort zone isn’t all that comfortable anymore. The fear of the unknown is scarier than a less than perfect reality.

How can we start to take back control of our lives during career transitions so that we are more likely to feel excitement and anticipation about a change instead of stress and anxiety? First let’s look at several reasons why we are fearful of change in the first place.

Why are we scared?
• Not sure what will happen after change (fear of future).
• Not confident in skills/abilities to handle new responsibilities (fear of failure).
• Don’t trust the leader or executives.
• Afraid of loss, isolation and loneliness.
• Don’t know what people will think of you if you go along with the change (fear of others’ judgments).
• Scared of money problems.
• Afraid of getting “left behind”.
• Plus a million other excuses and reasons we will fabricate to avoid change.

It is clear that there are many legitimate reasons to fear the changes that cause us stress. But stress is extremely harmful to our health and well-being. Stress contributes to illness and the leading causes of death in the United States. It is damaging to the heart and immune system. It inhibits the brain from functioning properly. It makes our decision-making skills fuzzy. And it can impact our quality of life and relationships if we let stress consume us to the point of physical and mental deterioration.

But what if we spin the reasons we are scared (and thus stressed) and look at them from another perspective – the one of excitement over a new opportunity being given to us that will take our lives in new directions we never dreamed were possible? I know, I know – that seems a little corny and unrealistic especially considering today’s economy and the unemployment rate. But what if, for just a moment, we could look at our world with rose-colored glasses to see the possibilities instead of the fears? Here are some ideas to help manage the stress that comes with job change.

• With work, remember it’s business not personal. If you get criticized for a project at work, it doesn’t mean YOU are a bad person. It means you have an opportunity to improve your skills and you should embrace the new learning.
• Management is not the enemy. They have responsibilities to others too and are there to help the company grow, not make your life miserable.
• Remember in life and at work, it’s a team effort. You don’t have to go it alone. Seek out others if you need support.
• Leave work at the office and don’t let it interfere with your life. Don’t go home and ruin a fun night with family or friends by complaining or talking about what you did at the office. It will only make you more stressed and suck the energy out of your family and friends too.
• Remember change is inevitable throughout life – without it we would stagnate and no progress would be made. Accept change as necessary for growth for ourselves and for the world.
• See change as an opportunity for growth – embrace it. If you are unemployed, take your newfound time and start a new hobby, join a group or finish projects on your to-do list.
• If you are feeling hopeless, suicidal or experiencing severe health symptoms, speak with your doctor right away.
• Find your passion and do what you love – at work and in life. If you’re doing something you are passionate about, it’s not work at all. If you can’t leave a job you dislike, find the parts you do like about it and make that a larger part of your job. Talk to your manager about adding some more creative tasks to your duties and reducing the ones that de-motivate you.
• Work/Life Balance!!!!! Keep your priorities in line and don’t let work stress overcome you so much that it interferes with your enjoyment of life or negatively impacts your relationships with others. (If others notice you’re crabby about work, that is a problem and you need to take steps to change your outlook and attitude.)

What is the most important thing to remember when managing work stress? Do not let stress become so bad that your health and happiness begin to suffer. Even the tiniest levels of stress can cause damage. So start taking steps now to take back control of your emotions and reactions to challenges. It will make a tremendous difference in how you perceive the world and may even open you up to opportunities you never knew existed.

About Kristen Brown
Kristen Brown was born and raised in Minnesota. She graduated cum laude with her B.S. in Business Administration and is pursuing her Master’s degree. She left corporate America after 15+ years of working for others to launch her own work/life balance and health supplement company called Happy Hour Effect, the first health supplement and online resource specifically developed to help ease work stress and promote work/life balance. She also owns Up-Side Industries, her writing and speaking company. She is the Minneapolis Health and Happiness Writer for the website Examiner.com and has completed a book entitled, “The Best Worst Thing” about her journey through grief after the sudden death of her husband at the age of 30 when their daughter was just ten months old. Her story and companies have been featured on television, radio, print and online. She enjoys gardening and landscaping, cooking, yoga, travel and reading. She is a member of Women in Networking and The Loft Literary Center and volunteers for the American Heart Association. She lives in Minneapolis, MN with her three-year-old daughter and their seven year old, 85 pound black Labrador Retriever (who thinks he’s a lap dog). Visit her online at www.KristenKBrown.com or www.HappyHourEffect.com.