Hopping into a brand-new industry is a lot like when you take Pilates, barre, or yoga for the very first time—there are a lot of brand-new words, behavioral norms, and processes that make you feel you’re from another planet. Feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable is quite much guaranteed.
“Being uncomfortable happens in any brand-new job,” says Carter. “Yet the discomfort of everything being brand-new gets interpreted as stress. “My advice for newbies: realize that you’re going to be comfortable and that’s ok. Yet you need to keep the discomfort from being brand-new from blossoming into a full-blown fear response.”
Easier said than done, right? Here are some simple stress-reducing tips:
1. Stand up straight. “All mammals, when they’re stressed or threatened, hunch their shoulders to protect their neck,” says Carter. If your body is doing that, it’s telling your brain that it’s under stress. Be conscious of dropping your shoulders and reaching your head high (and exposing your neck) for an instantly calming effect.
2. Breathe deeply. You’ve probably heard this one before, and that’s because it works. The key, however, is to make sure you “focus on deep exhales from the bottom lobes of your lungs,” says Carter. Those deep, slow breaths send a signal to your brain that everything is A-OK.
3. Try cognitive reappraisal. Take a moment and say to yourself: “My body is reacting to this situation (sweaty palms, increased heart rate), Yet my heart is just pumping more blood to my brain.” Understanding that your body is trying to help you will help you stay calm.
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