Finding yourself? Quitting Your Job?
How I Manage Fear & Anxiety when in a Career Transition
I thought we had done everything right. We had planned for months. We gave notice at our jobs. We had shipped our belongings to a storage unit in Denver. We had a budget. We had a plan. We even had a backup plan. We were following our dreams: taking a career break to make a transition in our jobs.
Why was I still so anxious and terrified?
The stress wasn’t coming from money. The fear was a direct result of the uncertain paths we had chosen. The fear came at me from all directions. Had we made the biggest mistake of our lives? Would we completely waste our time on sabbatical? What do people think of us when we tell them we aren’t working and aren’t looking for work?
In the beginning of our sabbatical in Southeast Asia I woke up in a hot sweat almost every night. Maybe my body wasn’t adjusting to the heat. But I also found my mind dragging my thoughts in a thousand directions. I’m not new to panic and anxiety, but I didn’t think I would have those feelings while on a sabbatical. I had expected right before we left and when we returned. But I didn’t expect fear and anxiety to show up in the midst of the experience we had worked so hard for.
Luckily, I reached out and met others what had gone through major career shifts. These generous folk guided me to resources for coping with fear. People recommended books, meditation, and simply, writing out the anxiety. These suggestions worked. I stopped having those terrible sleepless nights (I still woke up sweating sometimes. This is Asia).
Here’s what helped me manage fear and anxiety while on a sabbatical.
1. Reading the Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
A blogger I met in Chiang Mai lent me her copy. While I didn’t finish the whole course, I adopted several habits Julia Cameron recommends. The most valuable to me was the Morning Pages. Every morning I wrote (no computer) in a journal nonstop. I didn’t censor. I just wrote it out. My anxiety spilled out on the pages in a way that felt selfish and self-absorbed (especially while travelling in third world countries). But it was an outlet I needed.
2. Working with a Career or Life Coach.
Perspective is everything. I had so often dismissed life and career coaches as a luxury not worth investing in. Hiring a personal trainer changed my perspective on the value of having a professional dedicate 100% of their attention on you. I worked with a career coach. I was shocked by how energized I felt after our sessions. An excellent coach will help you understand what you may be overlooking or neglecting.
3. Finding a Support Group
A support group might be peers that are your cheerleaders. They understand what you’re doing (judgment-free). Not all people are fortunate to have that type of group. Many friends just can’t play that role. For me, a few dear friends and siblings were sounding boards. My biggest sounding board was (and still is!) my husband accompanying me on sabbatical. During our sabbatical we lingered for six weeks in the nomad sanctuary of Chiang Mai, Thailand. I discovered a weekly women’s group in Chiang Mai. I attended those lunches every week. I felt embraced, supported, and understood in this group.
4. Meditation
I’m not a yoga person. I go occasionally, but mostly because I want to improve my posture. I felt like I couldn’t meditate or be bothered with it. I took a friend’s suggestion to try it out (again). I developed a routine of Morning Pages, 10 minutes of meditation, and then action time. It drove out the anxiety.
Following Fear
I am still managing and coping with fear. A peer who went a major career shift shared her insight on fear: that fear could be a good thing. That fear can be a friend. That you could follow your fear.
She recommended the next book I’m tackling: Yes, Yes, Hell No.