We control very little in our life, but one of the big changes we can make is a career change. When we make this monumental decision, we are going to be faced with another thing we often cannot control, our emotions. Not manufactured or thought-fueled emotions, but real, natural reactions.
One of the emotions we often experience with any change or new situation is a pit of stomach worry, or is that excitement? Emotions are difficult to label or accurately describe because they are meant to be experienced and accepted, but we often try to force them away. Unfortunately attempting to bury these nervous emotions can often result in insomnia, nausea, or muscle tension. Understanding these emotions are the natural rhythm of our body like a heartbeat or daily breaths can lead to one of the most effective ways to manage something out of our control, acceptance. Our body is going to react to new uncomfortable change with a warning signal. However, this signal is only meant to help us be aware of what could happen, but not an indication of what will happen.
After acceptance, and once we value and respect our bodies’ natural rhythm, we should slow down and explore the emotion and, if necessary, dispute any unrealistic worries. Unfortunately, our body is going to recall times we have previously experienced a similar emotion and due to our negative bias, send us reminders of times we have failed. We will have to intentionally dispute these reactions. Find times of strength and hopefulness, moments we have been proud of, and times of success.
This combination of acceptance and intentionally disputing our body’s helpful, but sometimes self-sabotaging warning systems, can allow us to move toward our career change and make the most helpful choice for our situation.
About the Author: Daniel Wysocki, Ed.S., is a board-certified professional in psychology with over ten years of experience providing counseling and psychological testing. Based in Jonesboro, Arkansas, he provides comprehensive services to clients of all ages, including children, teens, adults, and families.
