Listen to your anxiety!

We are constantly blasted by negative messages today and if you've been laid off or had your salary cut, you're experiencing first-hand.

Anxiety is a natural consequence. Is anxiety or fear helpful? If these emotions are visible in your next job interview or at work, they are likely to cause you to stumble. Here's a greatreminder from the Career Encouragement Blog:

It's so hard to meet a potential new boss and convince him/her that you are really excited about a new opportunity if you are still frustrated about losing your old job. Yet we all know that a hiring manager is going to be more attracted to candidates that are upbeat and positive. This quote by Jim Rohn sums up this imperative neatly:

"Don't bring your need to the marketplace, bring your skill. If you don't feel well, tell your doctor, but not the marketplace. If you need money, go to the bank, but not the marketplace."

It's hard to hide it from a new employer if you have been laid off from your prior role. However, it's up to you whether or not you come across as negative about the layoff, or as someone who has realistically absorbed the event and is moving forward.

So, how exactly do we move forward after negative events? First, recognize that anxiety is valuable. Stop resisting it. Accept it into your life and embrace it. Really. Don't just pay lip service. Take some time out for this.

There is a message for you struggling to make itself heard - your anxiety wants something. Some action is required on your part to address the unmet needs driving your anxiety. Don't assume that your needs are the obvious ones. It's not just money that you need. That's an oversimplification that won't solve anything.

Maybe your most pressing need is not getting a job - maybe it's a lifestyle change your anxiety wants. Maybe cutting your expenses is more urgent than getting a job. In a quiet time and place, ask yourself about the source of your anxiety - and then listen patiently.

It was very likely a conversation like this that moved Leah Bird and her husband, Ed Wright, to trade their comfortable two-bedroom apartment in Beverly Hills, California, for life in a trailer on a five-acre Oregon farm. This is not to say that everyone that gets laid off should move to a farm - most likely your course changes need not be so extreme!

The point is that your anxiety has something important to say about your life and your next move. When you listen to that message and you act on it, you should find the peace of mind and positive energy that you need to jump back into the fray offering your skills instead of your fear and frustration.