Nervous about a new job is quite common. Most often, feeling nervous before the first day of work. A large number of people experience this phenomenon. At the same time, feeling anxious leads to self-doubt and other problems that can play havoc with you on your first day of work. To overcome first-day jitters and understand exactly how anxiety manifests and what is normal, we suggest you read our article. Here, you will find concrete, effective examples of how to stop feeling nervous on your first day in a new office and start feeling confident.
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More often than not, people are prone to new job anxiety, especially when faced with change and new peers. At the same time, you should be confident in a new position. Of course, it can make you experience day jitters, as everything unknown scares people. You may not have experience in a particular position or organisation, and the excitement can increase when the start date approaches. The first step to overcoming new job nerves is to recognise you are nervous. After that, you can look for ways to overcome your anxiety disorder.
It’s completely normal to feel new job anxiety. New workplace is completely unfamiliar to you. Moreover, people who have an anxiety disorder most often experience similar experiences, since new job anxiety is considered a fairly significant cause of stress. Such worries are common to everyone. If a situation arises that you do not feel anxious about starting a new job, then this is an even greater reason to worry about your mental health.
Many people wonder how long new job anxiety will last. In this situation, the answer depends on the individual. In some situations, you can feel anxious during the first week of adaptation to a new place. For some applicants, increased anxiety can trigger imposter syndrome or can make them doubt that you are good for the chosen position.
New job anxiety manifests itself not only in the form of moral discomfort, but can also affect the physical level. Some may have sweaty palms, while others suffer from headaches that can significantly affect the efficiency of the job. The following anxiety symptoms are the most common new environment symptoms:
The fact that a new chapter of your life makes you feel anxious does not mean that you should continue to suffer, feeling pressured even in your own time away from work about the day ahead. Suppose new job nerves are preventing you from fulfilling new responsibilities. In that case, it is worth using special recommendations and effective advice from experienced psychologists on ease anxiety before an important interview and set yourself on a positive note.
Keep sight of the importance of your stable emotional state when you enter new surroundings in the workplace. Remember: the employer hired you to fulfil your tasks, not to create a big mess at work because of unnecessary anxiety. To overcome new job anxiety, we suggest using the following effective practical tips:
To normalise your mental health, discuss your new job nerves with a close friend or family member. Talking through the problem will make you feel better. This way, you will ease your mind and ease your worries. Try to be clear about the reason for your worries. If you have mental health issues, you can talk about your worries with a specialist personal psychologist who can give you useful advice. In any case, even a close friend or family member can advise you on how to get through starting a new job and deal with your worries so that you don’t fall foul of them on your first day.
Feeling prepared before starting a new job will help relieve stress and anxiety and increase your self-confidence. Think in advance about what you will wear on your first day, find out more about the company, and test the route you will use to get to the workplace. You can contact your new manager to learn how to prepare for your first day. They can tell you to refresh certain skills, prepare some necessary paperwork so that you don’t have to waste time on it and get straight into training or direct work duties from the start of the day.
If you have specific expectations for something after the first day, it will allow you to stay motivated and mentally healthy all the time. For example, at the end of the working day, you may meet with friends, watch your favourite film, have a date with your favourite person and so on. This way, your new role at work will make you feel relaxed, and you can focus on something positive.
Remember that starting a new job always involves:
It can make you afraid. Be prepared for the fact that it takes employees far more than one day to learn new jobs, get to grips with the new job responsibilities and feel comfortable in the new role. So keep expectations reasonable – you are new, may make mistakes on your first day, and need time to get to grips with everything.
Ask your new manager or colleagues as many questions as possible about your new position in the company, your colleagues, your professional duties and so on. If you need explanations about a certain work process during the adaptation process, you should ask a question in good time. You can make a list of questions and their answers so that you can refer to them whenever needed.
Your colleagues must have a positive impression of you. Making a good impression when starting a new job is important, but you should do it sparingly. Take the time to get to know your colleagues by asking them about your concerns. If you show a moderate amount of enthusiasm, you will leave a positive impression of yourself, and you will also be able to create an optimal working atmosphere.
Your new position in the company is, first and foremost, a positive experience and a great opportunity to learn something new and make your learning curve move upward. If you make any mistakes, learn how to correct them. Also, ask how they can be avoided in the near future. It would help if you were not afraid of mistakes because they happen to everyone. But even in case of failure, you should not give up.
Managing stress and any anxiety can be helped by keeping your feelings diary. Describe how you feel before and after work a few minutes a day. This method will similarly minimise anxiety to talking to a close friend. It will also allow you to shift your focus to something positive to maintain a good mood.
New employees often face anxiety in the workplace because they are under a lot of pressure. It can make it difficult to switch to your personal life after work. If you take time for yourself, your productivity will stay high. It’s worth spending 2 hours of free time each day to relax. This time can be spent in various ways – go to the gym, listen to a podcast, enjoy a playlist on the way home, or read a book. You can also spend time with friends or relatives, try a new cookery recipe, realise your art project and many other things that are separate from your direct work responsibilities. Work shouldn’t take first place in your life, pushing everything else aside.
Everyone adapts to new environments at different speeds. Everyone is unique. Nothing is wrong if you need more time to learn a skill set to adapt. Working in a new environment is a challenging task. Your first day on the job has come to an end. It’s certainly worth celebrating. Every day you do well, or every time you complete a project, praise yourself for it. You can do this in various ways – treat yourself to your favourite ice cream and buy something nice. The more you celebrate your achievements, the greater your self-confidence will be.
You must start your first day positively and effectively to prevent your new job anxiety from becoming a disaster. To keep new employers and co-workers happy with your work, consider the following small but effective tips:
Depending on the individual and the position, it can take 18 months to normalise mental health in the work environment. The timeframe depends on various factors, including the adaptation process of the company, whether the new boss will provide appropriate support, how the relationship with the new hires will develop, what exactly the work process will be like and what tasks must be performed.
