Do you experience anxiety due to a job application?

Do you experience job application anxiety?

Starting the first job might trigger a lot of mixed emotions in an individual. One of the prominent emotions that an individual might experience with their job application is a sense of anxiety.

This anxiety might kick in with the very process of seeing a job vacancy or after stepping into the job application process.

With the feelings of satisfaction about having a job soon, a person might also feel uneasiness due to the uncertainty a new job can hold.

There are two cases where individuals might experience job application anxiety that is in case one it could be a job they are taking up after their education while in another case it could be the first job in a completely new field

In both cases, the amount of anxiety experienced by an individual might vary depending on their ability to handle stress and also prior related experiences.

What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety experienced by a job application?

Anxiety is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms such as:

• Sweating
• Difficulty in breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Sense of choking
• Complaints of chest pain
• Shaking or trembling
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or Lightheadedness
• Fear of losing control over oneself and their environment
• Fear of impending doom
• Hot or cold flashes
• Tingling or numbness
• Increased heart rate

These symptoms vary in severity from person to person. However, it is noted that many people experience anxiety attacks that are not significantly displayed.

What are the main triggers of anxiety that might cause job application anxiety?

Even though anxiety is seen among many individuals certain triggers make some people more vulnerable to anxiety than others during the job application. Some contributing triggers of anxiety are:

Medications

It is believed that many over-the-counter medications may contribute to the symptoms of anxiety in some individuals. This is certainly because of the ingredients in this medication that makes an individual feel uneasy.

Use of caffeine

even though it is said that the use of caffeine helps to activate an individual’s system studies show that over usage of caffeine might lead to adverse effects such as anxiety or even depression.

Apart from the overuse withdrawal from caffeine may also lead to anxiety. hence it is suggested that individuals take conscious amounts of caffeine per day.

Skipping meals

Apart from environmental factors, one’s eating habits might also contribute to an individual’s anxiety directly or indirectly. When an individual fails to maintain their food timings it might lead to fluctuations in their blood sugar levels.

These fluctuations might make an individual feel jittery which in turn triggers anxiety.

Hence maintaining a proper schedule and diet is important for various reasons not just for energy but also for maintaining one’s mood.

Negative thinking

an individual’s behavior and emotions are certainly controlled by one’s thoughts. When an individual is upset and dwells on negative thoughts it further leads to discomforting emotions and detrimental thoughts causing a vicious cycle.

These negative thoughts are then projected to various areas of an individual’s life creating an overall sense of lack of control over oneself and the environment which triggers anxiety.

Financial concerns

many individuals experience anxiety due to their financial standing. Learning to manage financial triggers requires seeking professional help such as from a financial advisor.

Stress

daily stressors as simple as traffic jams to major ones such as strained relationships might contribute to one’s intensity and frequency of anxiety and anxiety attacks.

However long term or chronic stress leads to long term anxiety and a build-up of negative taught processes and emotions that impact an individual’s mental health

Conflict

individuals might also experience anxiety as a result of interpersonal or intrapersonal conflicts.

The inability to resolve these conflicts might lead to the buildup of negative thoughts, emotions that overwhelm an individual and triggers anxiety.

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What are the ways to overcome anxiety caused by a job application?

some ways to overcome anxiety triggered by a job application are:

Trace the source of anxiety

An individual needs to be aware of the triggers that are causing anxiety. An individual must be well aware of their fears and strength to face challenging situations that might trigger anxiety concerning their first job.

Practice and prepare

Job anxiety might be related to the changes that are involved in it such as going to a new place, working more hours in a week, handling new responsibilities, and different work timings.

An individual must be well prepared for the challenges that a new job might place such as researching the different routes that one can take to reach the workplace more quickly and efficiently.

One can also increase the time that they spend away from home each day to get adjusted to their work timings later on bringing about a shift in sleep schedules ahead of the first day at the job for better adjustment.

Adapt to healthy coping techniques

 

Anxiety is something that is very naturally experienced by individuals during their day-to-day life routine. However, an individual must be well-equipped with the coping techniques to manage their anxiety.

Having one’s coping strategies in place helps them to manage the symptoms of anxiety as they come up. One can try some breathing exercises to relax themselves and their muscles that make them calmer within a short period.

Try mindfulness

 

When individuals experience the worst form of anxiousness, they might feel overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions. Under certain circumstances, mindfulness techniques can help them to distract themselves from the negative thoughts and help them focus on the present moment.

Becoming mindful can involve simple steps such as acknowledging one’s worries instead of trying to overanalyze them or push them away.

Distract yourself

Distraction techniques can play a very important role in calming one’s anxiety. These distractions can involve carrying out simple activities like counting backward, going for a short walk, carrying out puzzles, painting, listening to music.

These distraction techniques can help to boost one’s mood, help ease stress, improve muscle relaxation making an individual calmer.

Talk about it

first job anxiety is very common and many individuals might experience the same. Sharing about how one is feeling about their first job with their friends and families can help to normalize the situation and help one feel less alone.

Spending time with family and friends can also be looked at as a positive distraction that helps to set aside one’s anxiety.

Revisit your qualifications

Entering a workplace with new faces and inspiring personalities might strike a sense of anxiety and nervousness. However, it is important that individual holds a list of personal values, experiences, achievements to remind themselves and that they are best suited for the job and are an equally strong employee.

Use anxiety as a tool

Anxiety is a natural response to threat or fear and is associated with unpleasant feelings. Individuals must use their anxiety as a tool and give voice to their worries which in turn helps to motivate them to find ways to prevent them from coming true.

 

Talk with a therapist

Starting the first job can trigger anxiety in many individuals. However, anxiety might have other triggers as well which might increase their vulnerability to experiencing anxiety.

In such cases, it is suggested that individuals seek professional help where therapists are better able to guide them through the process of resolving their anxiety triggers and making their first job less anxiety-provoking.

Making journal entries

Finally having a journal to write down how a person is feeling and thinking when they are anxious about their first job helps them to reflect upon their thoughts and feelings.

Putting down one’s thoughts and feelings onto a paper helps to provide a sense of temporary relief.

In the case of journal entry, a person does not even have to fear being judged by another person regarding their thoughts and feelings.

What are the therapy options for anxiety caused by a job application?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps an individual to control their anxiety by using strategies like relaxation and breathing. It works on the principles of replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

Exposure therapy

Exposure therapy is a kind of therapy in which an individual is exposed to a particular stimulus that they usually fear or are anxious about in a graded order.

As and when the individual gets comfortable with the situation or stimulus introduced or exposed to them with each session individuals get more comfortable with a real-life situation that might have otherwise been a source for triggering anxiety.

Group therapy

It is based on the principle that when an individual interacts with other people who are suffering from the same fears they might not feel left alone or isolated. Group therapy usually involves a group of individuals who are experiencing similar symptoms and problems.

Medication

Anxiety can also be treated with the help of medication prescribed by a health care professional.

Though medication alone cannot help in reducing persistent anxiety it can help in restoring a sense of control and bring temporary relief.

Conclusion

Anxiety is a common response to fear and threat seen in most individuals during their day-to-day routine.

Experiencing anxiety due to the job application is very natural and is experienced by many employees across the globe.

Experiencing anxiety due to the job application could be due to several factors related to the job environment or other personal triggers that heightened the effect of anxiety.

Individuals should try and regulate these feelings of anxiety by either using anxiety as a tool to motivate them or actively equipping themselves with coping mechanisms that help them to positively tackle the anxiety that is caused due to the application.

In many cases when an individual is not able to successfully handle the anxiety caused by the job application personally by some self-help techniques such as mindfulness and distraction techniques, they can always seek professional help to regulate their mood and thoughts such that it aligns with their needs and goals.

What we recommend for curbing Anxiety

Below are some of the services and products we recommend for anxiety

Online Therapy

• Online therapy is another thing we should all try. We highly recommend Online therapy with a provider who not only provides therapy but a complete mental health toolbox to help your wellness.

Anxiety Weighted Blankets

• Anxiety Weighted Blankets are by far the number 1 thing every person who suffers from anxiety should at least try. Anxiety Blankets may improve your sleep, allow you to fall asleep faster and you can even carry them around when chilling at home.

Light Therapy

• Amber light therapy from Amber lights could increase the melatonin production in your body and help you sleep better at night.  An Amber light lamp helps reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and increases overall sleep quality.

Frequently asked questions

How to stop being anxious about your job application?

Several techniques can be used to stop feeling anxious about one’s jobs application are:

• Tracing one’s source of anxiety
• Practicing their routine ahead of time
• Equipping oneself with proper coping techniques
• Actively practicing mindfulness
• Talking about their feelings with a family or friend
• Noting down their strength and positive values

Why am I so nervous about my first job?

 

feeling nervous and anxious about one’s first job is very natural and as experienced by many people experiencing the same situation.

This nervousness and anxiousness results from the changes and challenges that are associated with the first job and the uncertainty that prevails about one’s performance.

When does first job anxiety go away?

First job anxiety usually fades away within a week or two or a maximum of one month after an individual falls into the routine and gets used to the workplace environment and is more aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Citations

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/new-job-anxiety#takeaway

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/anxiety-triggers

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10634350/

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