Dealing with career change

Quite often we find that we are so invested in our careers that we lose sight of who we really are, we get stuck in default mode and each day can roll into one. We spend most of our week at work, 5 days out of 7, it starts to define us – good or bad. In an instant we can become an employee number that is one resource too many, a part-time employee that is no longer offered flexibility, be in a role that becomes a nice to have rather than critical to the success of the business or a global pandemic hits us for six, and we find ourselves out of a job, stood down or allocated with reduced hours.

This level of change can cause us to shift into shock and spark many different emotions. Feelings of anger, frustration, worry, self-doubt, and anxiety, just to name a few. One of the biggest challenges when dealing with change and uncertainty is our natural brain reaction is sent into threat – we can then feel stuck, frozen in fight, flight, and freeze response. When we are in threat response, we are less connected, risk adverse, focused on the problem and unlikely to have any insights into what to do next.

A few techniques to help you deal with change are:

Acknowledge your emotions and feelings

Without judgement, notice what emotions are showing up for you. Allow yourself to feel all emotions, it is natural to go through an emotional change journey. You may move quickly from each stage or it may take longer. Find people around you who will support you, write it down in a journal or seek further help from a professional.

Self-care

Be gentle on yourself, treat yourself the way you would treat a friend going through a hard time. Find ways to bring some joy into your life, play your favourite music, read a book, start a new hobby, exercise to help release those happy endorphins, go for a walk and get some fresh air, practice mindfulness, get enough sleep, eat well, find your self-care space and spend more time there!

Reframe your situation

Start to think about what you can and can’t control. What can you control today? Put your situation into perspective, think about what you are grateful for or find a positive out of your position.

Opportunity

Spend some time reflecting… work out what you enjoy, what are your values, why do you get out of bed each morning, what do you want the rest of your life to be about… then clearly define your vision “What does your ideal role look like?”, break it down into options, manageable steps and the most important part, take action. What is one thing you can do in the next 24 hours to help take a step closer to your vision?

Often, we have limited or no control over these situations they are forced upon us. Change feels hard and is a major disruptor in our world, once we get through the emotional roller coaster, it presents us with an opportunity. An opportunity to work out what we really want to do. You do have control over your mindset and how you respond to change. Do not let a bump in the road tear you down. Take time to sit with your feelings, tap into your strengths, your true self, and values. Sprinkle some perspective on your situation, find the silver lining and keep moving forward.

What is your next step?