3 tips to overcoming stress throughout your resettlement journey
Category: Tips and Advice
Publish date: 03/04/2023
The stressors and emotional reactions associated with career transition are well documented. It’s perfectly normal and very human to feel up one moment, and down the next. And many people suggest that the worst part about transitioning from the military to civilian employment is not knowing what comes next. This is completely understandable, particularly if it wasn’t your choice to leave the military at this exact moment in time. However, there are steps you can take to overcome any potential stress and make your resettlement a more positive experience.
Here are 3 ways you can alleviate stress during your resettlement:
1. Reflect on and share how you feel Start by being honest with yourself about how you feel. It's perfectly normal to have good and bad days. A simple first step can be to write down your thoughts. Daily journaling is known to be a great “de-stressor” in many situations, including a career change. Then, when you're ready, share your thoughts with someone you can trust, whether that’s a friend, family member or your CTP Career Consultant. Having someone there to listen to your thoughts and act as a sounding board is hugely helpful in understanding and managing your thoughts and emotions.
2. Create a plan you can stick to A plan is a powerful tool. Identify short term goals that are realistic and achievable, to provide you with a sense of accomplishment. And remember, your plan doesn't have to be limited just to your job search - incorporate fun things/hobbies too! This can help alleviate some of the pressure associated with finding a new job and ensure that you feel a sense of satisfaction/achievement throughout your journey.
myPlan is a great place to start and can help you keep track of your progress and remain clear on what your next steps are.
3. Continue learning As you begin your transition, remember to tap into as many CTP resources as possible to support your learning. If you’re unsure on where to start with your job search, or you’ve identified a gap in your skillset that you need to fill in order to pursue your chosen career path, there are a wealth of training courses, webinars and workshops available to you through the CTP. Taking the time to learn some new skills or bridge a knowledge gap can go a long way to helping you feel more equipped to navigate your resettlement – removing a lot of the potential stress that can come with a career transition.
Having served in the military, you’ll likely be accustomed to working under stress. However, work-related stress and the stress associated with entering the unknown can feel very different, and so its important to remember that help is always on-hand.
For example, take a look at the Career Assessments available in
myCareerPath, where you’ll find some great activities designed to help with stress management and developing personal resilience. Then, once you’ve landed your next role you can watch our ‘moving forward into your next role’ webinar to help you identify any potential stressors, and learn how to mitigate against them.