Unhappy and Scared To Change Jobs

Rebecca, aged 33 wrote “Help! I’m stuck in a job I hate but I’m too scared to change jobs.”  Margi Matters Brisbane Psychologist answers.

Only a relatively small percentage of people truly love their jobs. Even when you are deeply unhappy, there are many reasons that can cause you to feel too scared to change jobs. The first step is understanding these reasons and fears.

Understand What Makes You Scared To Change Jobs

Fear comes from what you believe and expect and therefore what you are telling yourself about changing jobs. Essentially fears are only negative predictions. With understanding, information, strategies and skills these predictions can be changed.

Are you scared to change jobs because you lack confidence and belief in yourself? For example do you believe you are not good enough? What negative judgements or beliefs about yourself, your worth and your abilities are holding you back?

Are you scared to change jobs because you don’t know how to successfully go about it or you feel overwhelmed at what it might involve? Is it a case of not knowing what you want? Read more about this here.

Are you scared to change jobs because of what you tell yourself about the job market, for example do you believe there are no other jobs out there or there is too much competition?

Make a list of all your fears then deal with each fear one at a time.

  “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.”  Theodore Roosevelt.

Solutions To Build Confidence

Building the confidence to change jobs requires the following:

1. develop trust in yourself and believe in yourself for example “I am good enough” or “I have the   ability to be successful.”
2. believe that it is possible to successfully change your job no matter what is happening in the marketplace or the broader economy. Every day lots of people successfully change their jobs
3. know what you want. To have something better begins with being clear about what you really want. Be specific about the kind of job you would love to be doing.
4. get clear about what it would take to achieve what you want. For example do you need to do more training or update your resume or learn interview techniques? Who could help? The framework is to have a specific set of goals and a clear plan for achieving these goals. You need to know exactly what to do and have strategies for each step.
5. imagine yourself being successful in your job search. See yourself in your new job. Keep bringing your focus on to what you want rather than on what you don’t want.

In my counselling sessions we build your confidence to change jobs with a focus on strengthening self esteem  through making changes in your beliefs, in your expectations and in your self talk. We also set up clear goals and plans with specific strategies and steps that support success and build confidence by knowing exactly what to do and how to do it.

You don’t have to put pressure on yourself to change your job immediately, you just start making it a new possibility. Begin right now!

You can read more here about  changing jobs or careers.