Control What You Can Control: Managing Stress and Uncertainty in Your Career Journey

In today's rapidly changing professional landscape, uncertainty and stress have become constant companions for many people navigating their careers. Whether you're searching for your first job, considering a career pivot, or simply trying to stay afloat in a demanding role, learning to manage anxiety and focus on what you can control is essential for both your professional success and personal well-being.

Understanding the Universality of Career Uncertainty

If you're feeling overwhelmed by career uncertainty, you're not alone. Professionals across industries and experience levels face similar challenges. Nima, an Architect at a Boston firm, shares an important perspective on handling pressure in professional settings: "There's an intensity with projects that come and go, and things that come up that feel like they're the end of the world. Especially when you're zoomed into something that [makes you feel], 'Oh my god, this piece that we didn't anticipate is suddenly causing a lot of ramifications down the road.' But never is the response of panicking about it, and stressing a whole team about it, the right one. Because you don't come up with better decisions that way."

This insight reminds us that even when situations seem catastrophic in the moment, panicking rarely leads to effective solutions. Instead, a measured approach typically yields better results.

Focus on What You Can Control

One of the most powerful strategies for managing career-related stress is identifying what aspects of your situation you can actually influence. Michael, a Project Manager in high-end residential construction, offers straightforward advice: "Don't make emotional decisions. Always wait until you have all the information presented to you before you calculate a plan to make a decision. Otherwise, you often end up making an emotional decision, which could either backfire or cause you to move backwards."

This emphasis on information gathering and thoughtful decision making provides a practical framework for addressing workplace challenges. By focusing on collecting facts before reacting, you create space for more rational choices.

Practical Tips for Managing Career Stress

1. Develop a Growth Mindset About Challenges

Nima offers valuable insight on reframing difficulties: "Working within constraints or [managing] new information that has just come to you and you have to find an alternative way around it—that's the only thing I think design is really powerful for." He adds that instead of responding with stress, "twisting it and trying to see another way and having that optimism carried through with you is a [better] way of doing things." This perspective encourages us to view obstacles as opportunities for creative problem-solving rather than insurmountable barriers.

2. Remember That Setbacks Don't Define Your Journey

Travis, an Account Executive at Route, shares a powerful philosophy about interpreting career events: "One thing that I keep top of mind that I've really learned is just not labeling things as necessarily good or bad." He elaborates with a personal example: "I was doing podcasting full-time after I dropped out of a master's program... Made a little bit of money, but really nothing worth talking about. And it looks like I failed at it, right? But it did end up leading me to being at this company Route, and leading to me being in sales. And now we have a home."

Travis's experience highlights how what initially seems like a setback can ultimately lead to unexpected opportunities. He reflects: "That bad thing that you could easily label as a bad thing, actually turned out to be a good thing in life."

3. Practice Mindful Response to Pressure

When facing high-pressure situations, Nima recommends: "Pause and analyze. This is critical because the problems just keep persisting." He notes that no project ever goes completely according to plan, and that's normal: "There's never a way that you can envision the whole project from the get-go and it becomes smooth sailing. That would also be a boring project if it could work like that." This advice underscores the importance of taking time to step back and thoughtfully analyze situations rather than rushing to react.

4. Build Your Support Network

Throughout your career journey, surrounding yourself with supportive colleagues, mentors, and friends is invaluable. Consider reaching out to trusted connections when facing difficult decisions or seeking perspective on career challenges. Sometimes, an outside viewpoint can provide clarity that's difficult to achieve on your own.

Maintaining Perspective for Long-Term Success

As you navigate uncertainties in your career, maintaining a broader perspective can help reduce anxiety and build resilience. Travis reminds us about the unpredictability of outcomes: "You don't know what's good or bad. So if you get fired from a job, is that good? Is that bad? I don't know. There might be a better opportunity out there for you."

This philosophy of suspending immediate judgment about career events can be liberating. Rather than immediately categorizing experiences as failures or successes, maintaining an open mind about where they might lead creates space for unexpected positive outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Career uncertainty is inevitable, but how you respond to it is within your control. By focusing on thoughtful decision making, maintaining perspective, and viewing challenges as opportunities for growth, you can navigate even the most stressful career situations more effectively.

As Nima wisely notes, "The flip side of anxiety is excitement." By reframing how you view pressure and uncertainty, you might discover that what initially seemed overwhelming can become energizing when approached with the right mindset.

Remember that your career is a journey with many twists and turns. By controlling what you can and developing resilience for what you can't, you'll be better equipped not just to survive but to thrive amid professional uncertainty.

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Wishing you success,

Emily McSherry

Founder & CEO