How To Work Through New Job Anxiety And Start Off With Confidence

Getting a new job can be an exciting and celebratory occasion. After working hard to get noticed as a candidate, you may be on the way to becoming an employee of a new company, department, or position. However, despite the excitement, a new job can lead some people to experience fear, worry, and anxiety. Transitions can be daunting, and some may face imposter syndrome, social fears, or a lack of confidence on their first day or as they adjust to a new position. Techniques like preparation, education, and participation may maximize your confidence. For additional guidance, consider speaking with a licensed therapist.

Address work anxiety in online therapy

Talk to a licensed mental health professional

What is new job anxiety? 

New job anxiety can arise in anticipation of the beginning of a new job or when one has recently started working in a new position. Various factors can contribute to job anxiety. 

Anxiety about a new job can be highly distressing. For some people, this anxiety only lasts for a few days or weeks. However, if anxiety symptoms are severe or persist for months, they may indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder. 

Symptoms of anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders are mental illnesses listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V). These conditions generally involve anxiety that is more severe than would be expected for a situation. Some anxiety disorders involve symptoms that occur seemingly without cause, while others involve anxiety related to specific situations, such as social events or exposure to the object of a phobia. 

Common anxiety disorders that may contribute to increased anxiety at a new job include social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Anxiety symptoms can include the following:  

• Frequent worrying and nervousness
• Racing thoughts 
• A sense of impending doom or dread 
• Extreme anxiety in social situations, accompanied by the fear of being judged, disliked, or made fun of 
• Frequent negative thoughts about oneself based on performance 
• Physical symptoms like headaches, shakiness, and sweating 
• Panic attacks, which can involve chest pain, shortness of breath, and hyperventilation 
• Perfectionism and extreme measures to avoid perceived failure 
• Difficulty speaking and acting as one typically does 
• Frequent thoughts of being fired or disciplined despite not doing anything wrong or only making minor mistakes
• Frequent worries about what coworkers or management are thinking about you 
• Frequent attempts to “go above and beyond” to avoid imagined scenarios of disciplinary action 
• Obsessively reading into messages and emails from coworkers to discern what they think about you 

Anxiety disorders tend to be highly treatable conditions. Treatment options like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication may be helpful in coping with these symptoms when you start a new job. 

How do I know if my new job anxiety is normal? 

Your job anxiety may be normal if it arises within the first few days of getting hired and ceases within a few weeks after starting in a new environment. If the anxiety doesn’t negatively impact your performance and self-esteem, and you’re able to work through it as you get more comfortable with your job, you may not be living with an anxiety disorder. However, if your anxiety symptoms are severe, persistent, and occur for months or years past your first few weeks in the new office, you might be living with an anxiety disorder. 

Ways to reduce new job anxiety and stress on the first day

To reduce the likelihood of fear, worry, or anxiety on your first day of a new job, consider the following coping strategies. 

Prepare beforehand

Before starting your new job, read about the team, the company, and the position. If the company has given you any resources to review before you start, read through them several times. 

Set out your workplace uniform or first-day outfit the night before and ensure it is clean. You might also read testimonies from current and past employees online, as well as any business reviews on Google or Yelp. If you’ve worked a similar role in the past, remind yourself that you likely know more than you think about the job, but be open to learning something new as well. 

Remind yourself of your successes despite the new job anxiety 

Before you start or during your first weeks with the company, continuously remind yourself of the reason you were offered the job. Consider your education, past work experience, and professionalism. You might try repeating positive affirmations to yourself in the mirror before work, such as, “I am capable,” “I know what I’m doing,” and “I am an expert in this field.” 

Take the pressure off to improve your mental health and reduce stress 

Don’t hold yourself to unfair or unrealistic expectations. Remind yourself that everyone in the workforce starts a new position at some point, and everyone makes mistakes. Expecting perfection may lead to disappointment and burnout. Give yourself grace as you learn the ropes at your new job, regardless of how others treat you or whether they have high expectations for you. Be your own advocate and give yourself time to rest and relax after a long shift. 

Connect with your new coworkers 

Connecting with your new coworkers can be a way to reduce fear, showing you that you’re not alone. When you start at a new company where you don’t know anyone, you might think about being an outcast or being disliked. 

Start conversations with your coworkers, even if they’re people with whom you might not usually strike up conversations in your personal life. Try to learn a new fact about at least one person each day. If you have social anxiety disorder, talking to a therapist about ways to connect with coworkers may be helpful. 

Imposter syndrome and new job anxiety 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), up to 82% of individuals believe they haven’t truly earned their achievements, are a fraud in their field, or are not as successful as others. Imposter syndrome can occur when someone thinks they are playing an “imposter” role in their life and are not as successful or as liked by others as they believe, despite evidence to the contrary. They may also fear that others will soon figure them out and “unmask” the imposter. 

This syndrome is not an actual mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), but it can still have significant impacts on mental health and well-being, especially related to self-esteem. 

Imposter syndrome can lead to new job anxiety because someone may experience frequent thoughts about being “found out.” They may not celebrate the accomplishment of getting picked for the position due to low self-esteem or beliefs that they don’t “deserve it” or have somehow “conned” the interviewers. These fears can make a new job seem scary and may lead to reduced performance. 

How to be more confident in your abilities and reduce imposter syndrome  

To be more confident in your abilities, you might try the following techniques for reducing imposter syndrome: 

• Hang up your diploma and any certificates you’ve earned in your area of work and look at them daily 
• Remind yourself of previous academic and career achievements 
• Throw yourself a “new job party” to celebrate getting hired
• Journal about your thoughts and feelings going into your new position 
• Look for areas where you can grow instead of looking for places where you might fail 
• Follow accounts on social media of people in your career field who have similar stories and have achieved success, and use these as motivation instead of material for comparison 
• “Fake it until you make it” by acting confident, assured, and decisive at work 
• Ask for feedback from your new boss to receive advice on where you can grow as you face the learning curve of a new position

Adopting a growth mindset at the beginning 

A growth mindset may be an antidote to anxiety, as this mindset is often seen as the opposite of the fear of failure. The idea of failing, being “discovered,” being socially ostracized, or confronting the worst-case scenario is often the root of anxiety. 

Instead of thinking about what could go wrong and how horrible it would be, consider how you could turn any worst-case scenario into an opportunity for growth. 

What to do if the anxiety doesn’t go away 

If you still feel anxious despite efforts to cope with the fear associated with your new job, there are a few options. Whether you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or not, talking to a therapist, seeking medical intervention, and practicing lifestyle changes at home may be helpful. 

Your doctor may be able to recommend psychiatric medications to reduce anxiety while you work through the underlying causes, and you can make changes to your personal life to reduce stress and improve your self-esteem. 

Therapy can be a helpful long-term option, which may guide you through the steps to address the root of anxiety, cope with symptoms, and reduce the emotion’s control over you. Modalities like CBT are often highly effective in reducing symptom severity in people with anxiety disorders. 

Address work anxiety in online therapy

Talk to a licensed mental health professional

Professional mental health support options 

Many treatment options are available to offer support for those living with anxiety. However, some people may not have the time or finances to commit to in-person therapy for anxiety. In these cases, online platforms like BetterHelp may be more accessible.

Through an online therapy platform, clients can meet with a therapist via phone, video, or live chat from any location with an internet connection, allowing them to unwind at home while receiving support. In addition, online therapy is often more cost-effective. 

Studies have found that internet-based therapy can be more effective than in-person options in reducing symptoms of anxiety and increasing quality of life.