How to Elevate Your Career While Managing Your Chronic Anxiety
Being able to have a friggin awesome career while managing a chronic mental health issue is SUCH a critical topic these days. And, this topic really hits home for me because I’ve struggled with anxiety my entire life. I’ve had to work REALLY hard on learning how to manage my anxiety so I could still be a good mom, a good spouse, a keynote speaker, an awesome business women, etc. etc. etc! This is something that is super personal to both myself AND my clients since many of the people I work with will open up about their struggles with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, and...you get the point.
To be honest: it really shouldn't be too taboo or off the table to be open and talk about our struggles with mental health anymore considering 1 in 5 adults in the US will experience mental illness each year. That means that you or someone you know IS currently dealing with this issue.
And if you're someone who is REALLY trying to level up their career, dealing with your mental health and your career can be really daunting.
Yet so few of us are standing up to say that it is totally possible to have anxiety, or depression, or bipolar disorder while you're also leveling-up your career.
...But I am living proof that you can kick the sh*t out of your career (I am super passionate about this topic so sometimes swear words ARE dropped and are VERY NECESSARY) AND manage your mental health.
That's why this blog is going to be ALL about how you can still have a kickass career while managing a mental illness.
ANXIETY AND CAREER GROWTH: IT'S VERY PERSONAL FOR ME
I have had anxiety my entire life. Over the last few years, it has been critical for me to learn how to manage my anxiety better so that I can focus on living my best life and grow my business. But it has not been exactly EASY.
You see, this is a personal issue for me!
It's something I really connect with when I talk to my clients. And these two topics frequently come up together when we're working through their concerns when it comes to their ability to take the next step in their career.
I think the toughest part for me was recognizing that I needed help. A lot of us, myself included, downplay our symptoms or stay in the denial territory for as long as possible. However, looking back that was such a waste of my energy. I lived in this territory for the first three decades of my life.
When I was ready, I pursued support and invested in handling my anxiety head-on. This is when everything started to change for me.
Being OPEN and HONEST with myself was the first step. Next was finding the RIGHT support system.
GET THE SUPPORT YOU DESERVE
The most crucial part of successfully balancing your career with your mental health is getting the right support system in place. Although I say this sentiment to everyone I meet, I think it's especially important for people who are struggling with their mental health.
Here is an insider scoop: I'm a firm believer that everyone needs a therapist (even if they're happy!). There – I said it!
It's essential to have someone on your team who is professionally trained, not in your inner circle where emotions can run high (your spouse, your best friend, your sister, your cousin, etc), and can help you, objectively, make decisions.
Actually it is a requirement for all of my clients that when they come to me and they openly admit to me that they have a chronic mental illness we sign a contract that requires them to be in therapy. Too many times have I seen clients turn to me for support in their career, but end up quitting because they are suffering from unmanaged anxiety, bipolar, or depression.
Honestly, it's important to work with a professional to help identify what things could help you clinically manage your mental illness.
FIGURE OUT IF BURNOUT IS PLAYING A ROLE
A major component of anxiety is the lack of feeling rejuvenated and distanced from difficult situations. When you're anxious, you may feel dread and feelings of extreme panic for things that are in the past or that you'll have to go through in the future.
In my experience with working with thousands of professionals now, something that heavily contributes to feelings of anxiety or depression is burnout. If you've constantly been working or are in a toxic work environment, you may be dealing with anxiety because you are running on empty.
The World Health Organization just designated that "burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." According to WHO, burnout can impact people in three significant ways:
feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job
reduced professional efficacy
All of those things can ABSOLUTELY impact your personal and professional life.
To that point, you should also work on identifying whether or not you're experiencing transitional or chronic anxiety. Things like big moves, career changes, personal emergencies, and other life-changing situations can be the cause of transitional anxiety. That means that, at some point in the future, the situation will pass and you can begin to feel more like yourself. I experienced this when I moved from California to Kentucky six years ago; that was a TOUGH season for me!
In cases of chronic anxiety, you may experience anxiety that hangs around even if you don't experience something life-changing. In some cases, your job could be causing chronic anxiety via your burnout. So, addressing your feelings of burnout can also improve your anxiety, and that could be key to your recovery.
MANAGING YOUR CAREER AND ANXIETY IN A POSITIVE WAY
Here are my best tips for managing your mental illness, whatever it may be, so that you can continue moving down the path to your dream career.
Recognize the symptoms: The biggest step in the right direction will be when you recognize that there is an issue. Many people downplay their experiences, which keeps them from moving forward for a very long time.
Get support from a professional: The next step that you should take is to get established with a professional, like a therapist or psychiatrist, who can support you. It's one thing to get advice from a friend or a mentor/coach, but it's something completely different to work with a professional.
Consider medications, if they are recommended to you: I am 100% supportive of taking medications when you need to. As a pharmacist, I know that they are an ESSENTIAL step to managing many physical and mental illnesses. While they may not be right for everyone, it is vital to consider a prescription if a professional has recommended it to you as their patient.
Implement consistent routines: Part of managing mental illness and a career is giving yourself a routine that works for you. You will want to use healthy coping mechanisms that are built into your routine so that you are always ready to handle anxiety when it hits.
Say NO to more-of-the-things: At this stage, it is essential to manage what's on your plate. That means saying no to more things that aren't totally aligned with your goals.
Create healthy boundaries: You will want to work on understanding what your limitations are. Start small, communicate with those around you what you are working on, and SAY NO more often!
At the end of the day, YOUR health comes first. But that doesn't mean that you are automatically barred from your DREAM JOB if you have been struggling. Reach out to the right people, surround yourself with people who WANT to see you succeed in your life, and create a pace for yourself that allows you to take care of yourself and grow your career.
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