6 Ways to release Career Anxiety during the pandemic
"It is not life that is on pause, it is only our plans ".
In the last few weeks our plans have been turned upside down and the earth showed us how little we can truly control in life.
For me personally there were positive and stable days in which I felt calm and could easily follow up with my daily plan alternated by other days of anxiety and feeling ungrounded.
If in addiction to the news of global pandemic you were already also going through your own personal challenges with a career change or you suddenly find yourself in an uncertain career situation it's no surprise that anxiety is coming up.
Today I want to share with you 6 ways that have been beneficial for me to manage my own anxiety and that hopefully will make your life more pleasant and you'll be able to make the most out of this precious time at home :
Create a self-care routine
This tip may not seem related to your job but it's related to you and how you show up to this challenge. Self-care has never been more essential to self-regulate our nervous system and allow us to feel that inner stability to show up as our best possible selves in the different aspects of daily life.
I am personally not a routine person, I tend to follow my moods and change idea often about how to use my personal time but it's exactly for this reason that in a stressful situation like this one, routine is essential.
It doesn't have to look overly complicated but it's really about integrating in your day the essential practices that make you feel good and sane. For me these include getting dressed, having a healthy breakfast, no caffeine, taking an indulgent shower and most importantly doing everything slowly. Slowing down in the daily tasks will dramatically drop your anxiety and allow you to face the challenges of the day with more energy.
And If being home these days mean having some extra time, use it to pamper yourself with an oil massage before the shower ( this practice comes from ayurveda and it's extremely grounding) , paint your nails, try a different hairstyle and put makeup on just for the pleasure of it.
2. Notice your breath
Anxiety often means you're up in your head and your breath may be shallow. And especially when you are evaluating a career change there may be a million options or steps going through your mind.
Take the habit to check in with your breathing patterns during the day and when you notice that your body is contracted and your chest tight , take a round of 10 deep breaths into the belly. Visualise the air going all the way down to your belly and expanding in the chest and throat and then empty it all out.
And when you've counted the 10 breaths, you're done.
This is a little practice you can do any time you need during the day and it doesn't take much time, which is convenient when you're overthinking and are not ready to drop eveything for a full meditation.
If you’d like to take 8 minutes out of your day , I’ve created a FREE “Meditation for Anxiety during a Career Change” for you that you can access here.
3. Step back from technology and screens
These days we are spending hours on hours in front of the screen. Wheter it's working, being on Skype with family, taking sport classes over Zoom or watching a movie, we are always on.
I noticed for myself how the light of the screen has been disruptiong my sleep cycle also because I'm so much less exposed to the sun and natural light.
Take this opportunity to get involved in activities that do not require a screen, like cooking, painting or reading a book. Allow yourself to be on when you're doing your job research for instance but then properly switch off even just for 20 minutes.
This rest time for the eyes is as valuable as your "on" time for productivity.
4. Journal it out
Writing things down on paper it's the number one practice I go to when I have a big decision waiting to be taken. The act of writing down all your thoughts, without a specific logic or oder has the objective of doing a brain dump and also visualize externally all the things that are bothering you.
It's a very liberating practice that can release so much anxiety because honestly you don't need to keep it all in your head. And when it becomes a daily activity it can uncover the real reasons of your anxiety and then know how to tackle them effectively.
5. Move and sweat
Exercise can be challenging these days, especially if the space to do it it's very limited or you have kids or family members interrupting you often.
But this is the most important time to move for your mental health. Anxiety causes the body to contract and feel tense, so there is no better way to refresh and restore your whole being than sweating it out.
So many sport activities have been transitioned online, from yoga to HIIT training and lots of them can be accessed for free on social media, so let's take advantage of this opportunity to take care of our body and especially our mental health.
6. The “Next 3 Steps” process
I love to do lists. Every morning or evening I write my to-do list for the day inspired by the goals I set at the beginning of the week. Part of it it's work and part is personal tasks but I notice that when I'm anxious I end up staring at the list and just freeze.
This is usually a sign I need to break down the tasks into tiny steps and just focus on the first 3 ahead of me. And behave as if the rest of the list doesn't exist for a while. Just that 3 baby steps.
And to make it even easier I take a blank piece of paper and just list from 1 to 3 the steps so they are crystal clear.
Once I'm in the zone while working on that 3 steps, I'll start to feel I'm accomplishing something and I'll get motivated to keep on going !
What are the "next 3 steps" for you right now?
Here you have them! These tools to relieve anxiety are simple and accessible because when we are up in our head and we feel overhwelmed by the future we need to be kind to ourselves and come back into a feeling sane first and foremost.
Let me know if they help and I'm curious to know, what are your favorite ways to release anxiety these days?
