Post-Grad Anxiety Can Make the Transition to Career Life Difficult

Summary: The moments after graduation when you are looking for a career and a new future can be stressful, but there are things you can do to make the transition easier.

Graduating from college can be an exciting time but also stressful. The fear of the unknown mixed with dreams of what your future holds can leave some post-grads hiding in the closet filled with anxiety. Graduating from college is the first transition into real adulthood. The most important thing is to remember that you are not alone in your fears. Here are some tips to help you overcome these struggles.

• Focus on what you have done instead of planning out your five-year plan. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. You graduated from college, which is an accomplishment you should feel proud of.
• Don’t compare yourself to others. You are your own person and you will take your own path. People reach and fall from success at their own rates. Be patient and know that the right opportunity for you will come along.
• Get invested into something you are passionate about. In college, there probably wasn’t time or money to try out new things like cooking, painting, or different sports, but now you can. This will help you re-energize and regain focus.
• Make one of those passions into a hobby that you wouldn’t normally do. Experiment with different hobbies. You never know what new passion you may discover and new friends you will meet along the way.
• Stay social. Keep in touch and hang out with your college friends whenever possible.
• Put the five-year plan on hold. Focus on what you are doing now and live each day as it comes.
• Stop freaking out about the big stuff like loans. Your student loans may feel like a thousand pounds of bricks on your back, but just keep plugging away at them and paying them off as fast as you can. Before you know it, they will be paid off.
• Keep yourself healthy. Your mind and your body need proper nourishment, exercise, and sleep. The all-nighters you used to pull in college are a thing of the past. Your body just can’t handle them anymore and will let you know that. When you are happy with yourself inside and out, your goals will be more positive as well.
• Cross something off your bucket list. Maybe you have wanted to run a marathon or try a new exotic food. By putting your energy into goals outside of work, the stress of a new career will be lightened.
• Trust yourself. There are always going to be highs and lows in life. Trust that things will work out in the end even if the path getting there was not perfect or the most desirable option.

Photo: fastweb.com