Transition Anxiety
John Niland
Supporting professionals to build a powerful professional identity in the Age of A.I., rooted in self-worth and self-belief
There seems to be a new anxiety disorder named every month. Have you heard of Transition Anxiety?
Also known as change anxiety, this occurs when we face significant changes in our lives that push us out of our comfort zones and into unfamiliar territory. This may happen for either personal or professional reasons: indeed, many people find themselves experiencing multiple transitions at once. Hello Anxiety!
Change and Self-Esteem
For people who run their lives on the basis of self-esteem (as I did for much of my life), change is OK as long as we feel we are somehow making progress and will eventually “come out on top”. Typical examples of this type of change: new job, promotion, first weeks in a new country, new relationship etc.? Yes, we find ourselves in new territory, but we intuitively feel that we are winning at the game of life. So change is exciting and we feel good about ourselves.
However… many people are currently experiencing a more troubling form of transition; characterised by uncertainty, self-doubt and anxiety.? Examples: redundancy or the threat of it, new country after the honeymoon has worn off, relationship uncertainty, empty-nest and for quite a few people, retirement or impending retirement (particularly if this is involuntary).?
With these transitions, your self-esteem takes a hit. You have cast off from one bank of the river and you are not yet sure where the opposite bank of the river is. Your little boat is tossing and turning in different directions, particularly when multiple transitions are happening together.?
That’s transition anxiety. It’s often accompanied by confusion, loss of reference points, uncertainty, self-doubt, loss of motivation, depression, social isolation, mood swings, compulsive addictions and loss of hope in the future.?
All of this can provoke a crisis of self-esteem, which in turn diminishes a person’s capacity to deal with change. Just when they most need their self-reliance, that belief in themselves seems to desert them.?
Self-Worth during Transition
During these turbulent times, deep roots of self-worth are especially valuable. An unconditional sense of loyal friendship with yourself enables you to survive and thrive during tough times. For example:
Self-worth in Anxious Times
The audiobook of “The Self-Worth Safari” is now on Audible , Apple and Amazon and by the time you are reading this it should be on c 34 other platforms, including Spotify.
Our formal launch will follow later, when we know it’s available in all regions and platforms. In the meantime, I am reaching out to some friends to give the book a review. This will be a huge help when it comes to a more formal launch in the months ahead.
In return, I am offering the first ten reviewers a free coaching session on any topic of their choice.?
Check out the audiobook on your favourite platform and if you would like to connect, please drop me an email: [email protected] ?
November Webinar: Re-educating your network as end-of-year approaches
Our next webinar on November 28th is “Re-educating your network as end-of-year approaches”.
In this webinar, we look at:
- why it's vital to re-educate your network as your career evolves
- some common pitfalls, e.g. reliance on "broadcast" messages
- 5 effective practices to embed in your diary, that create opportunity
- how self-worth is significant
- 4 tips to activate more referrals
Experienced senior manager with expert strategic, operational, and HR knowledge in scheduled and unscheduled NHS primary care.
1 周I was initially confused by this post. The opening line made me think it was leading into something that might mock anxieties. After reading on, I can see that it’s not. It appears it might be something to help people understand the reasons behind their feelings during times of change and uncertainty. Without looking in-depth, I wonder if transition anxiety is a new name for the emotional cycle of change?
Non Executive Director/Chairman. Specialises in Corporate Governance, Board & Business restructuring, Risk Management. Mentor.
1 周My goodness, what a generation of wimps we have produced! Everyone suffers from anxiety when certain things happen, and change is one at the top of the list. We just get on with it and usually realise once change has happened, that things have worked out.