By Sarah D.
Marketer | Anti-Bullying Advocate

Can a New Job Cause Anxiety?

Getting past professional anxiety is one of the biggest obstacles many face within their professional careers. Whether the anxiety is due to an upcoming interview, a business dinner, or a presentation, it’s there. New job stress causes professionals to wonder, “Can a new job cause anxiety?” Yes, it can and often does.

When beginning a new job, this feeling is one of the first to pop up. Personally, I notice this is caused by a mixture of factors such as pressure to make a good impression, fear of mistakes, and adjusting to an already-formed social order. These are just some of the common causes behind new job anxiety.

The Causes

There are a multitude of factors that contribute to new job anxiety. One prominent accelerator is not knowing what to expect in terms of roles and responsibilities. This can snowball into fears of judgment, questioning one’s own judgment, and cognitive overload.

All of these fears are normal and to be expected. New job anxiety is common across professions, and normalizing not knowing can help ease the adjustment process. This is because uncertainty can trigger overthinking which then triggers anxiety. However, when uncertainty is paired with curiosity, new job anxiety can be bypassed. In understanding these causes, we continue to the next step: accepting that it’s okay to not know the answer.

It’s Okay Not to Know

There is not a single person who began their professional career knowing everything. This is one of the most important facts to consider when working with anxiety. Normalcy is starting from the bottom and learning the ways of the new job. One thing that is important to remember is that it’s okay not to know the answer and, moreover, it’s okay to admit that. It’s a part of normalizing not knowing and a part of the learning curve.

How do professionals get past that learning curve? They ask questions. Not only is this ability a sign of professionalism, but it is also crucial as a preventive measure. Sometimes the fog of confusion can be bypassed with something as simple as “To ensure I do this properly, could you explain…?” It’s normal to ask for confirmation in the workforce. Further, it helps reduce new job anxiety from the start.

Practice Over Perfection

At the end of the day, new job anxiety can feel like a mental block. Everyone is going to have anxiety, questions, and confusion when starting a new job. This is completely normal, and learning to normalize not knowing the answer makes the process far less overwhelming.

Remember that you were not a random hire. You made it through the application process. You made it through the interview. Now, you’ll make it through the adjustment process. With consistency, you will be able to direct your anxiety, improve your professional expertise, and build your confidence in new roles.