New Job Jitters
Congratulations – you’re starting a new job! Although this is a time to celebrate, we know that beginning a new job can bring up many thoughts and feelings including but not limited to stress and anxiety, bursts of excitement, and even fear or imposter syndrome. We want you to know that you are not alone. In fact, LinkedIn survey data shows that 80% of professionals experience nerves when starting a new job, and unsurprisingly, first-day jitters get even more intense in the last days leading up to their start date or even last through the first few months
You may be left asking yourself, “how do I manage these feelings and ensure I am feeling myself during the first few weeks on the job?”. We suggest incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your daily routine.
Research at companies like Google, Aetna and Intel has shown that increasing mindfulness at work can decrease stress levels while improving focus, decision-making abilities, thoughtfulness and overall well-being – all things that can allow you to feel more at ease and leave your mind free to absorb new information and ideas.
When should I incorporate mindfulness and meditation into my routine?
Any time of day that suits you! Try meditating prior to starting your workday. This will allow you to absorb information with ease. You can also try incorporating meditation and mindfulness throughout your day as needed, whether it be between meetings or on your lunch break, to refocus yourself and decompress from a full-on morning.
New job jitters don’t typically end with your workday – incorporating mindfulness and meditation after work can help you to unwind, disconnect, and process your emotions from the day.
How should I go about practicing meditation and mindfulness?
When creating a mindfulness or meditation practice for yourself, we want you to know that there is no “right” way to do it. You can simply give yourself a moment of silence to reflect and allow your thoughts to come and go, or use guided meditations to help you through. If meditation doesn’t feel right for you in the moment, you can put pen to paper and journal.
If you’re looking to meditate but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few pointers to set you down the right path:
- Sit with your back tall. If this doesn’t feel comfortable for you, feel free to get into any position that serves you best in the moment
- Set a time limit for yourself if you’re new to meditation. There’s no pressure to practice for long periods of time, even just 2 minutes can be beneficial for your mind and wellbeing
- Let your breath come naturally, then notice the sensation as it flows in and out. Can you feel what part of your body are you breathing into?
- Notice when your mind has wandered, it’s ok, let your thoughts pass without criticism or obsession
- When you’re finished with your practice, gently lift your gaze and take note of how your body and mind feel after allowing yourself space to simply be
If you feel you need some gentle guidance with your meditations, here are some of our favourite resources to get you started:
Starting a new job will almost always bring on some degree of nerves. Meditation and mindfulness are wonderful tools that you can easily incorporate into your routine prior to starting a new job to release accumulated stress, counter the brain’s negativity bias, and support the reduction of anxiety and potential burnout down the line. These tools also support us in creating positive intentions and experiencing mindfulness, allowing us to reach higher levels of performance at work.
Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both your emotional well-being and your overall health. So why not try new practices and ways of meditation or mindfulness today.
We would love to hear your tips, advice, aps you use. Please feel free to comment below.