Journal Prompts for the First Day of a New Job

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So, you’ve just landed a brand new job position. Congratulations! The job hunt is no easy feat, so you should feel proud of yourself. However, anxiety may settle in after the initial excitement of signing offer letters and shopping for work clothes wears off.

If you feel apprehensive and stressed about your upcoming first day of work, know that you are not alone. Starting at a new job is a huge change of environment and routine, which throws the majority of people off. Even if you feel 100% ready to tackle all the tasks this job will assign, you will likely still feel first-day jitters. 

Common symptoms of “job anxiety” include excessive and/or irrational worrying, trouble sleeping, jitters, sweating, and racing heart. You may experience these symptoms in effect to worries about failing in the position or feeling lost/confused on your first day.

These thoughts and feelings can then lead you to over-prepare, psych yourself out, or even back out of the job altogether if things get out of hand. Pause and take a deep breath. These feelings, although anxiety-inducing, are normal. However, you should try to rationalize them before stressing yourself out any more than you have already, or making any impulsive decisions. 

One simple way to make sense of these worries is to journal about them. To journaling newbies, writing about what is making you anxious may seem counterproductive. However, what journaling really accomplishes is making you aware of your emotions—good and bad— and helping you work through them. It will leave you feeling more confident in yourself and with a much clearer head.

So, take out a notebook and get journaling using these prompts! 

1. Why do you think you got this job offer? What qualities do you hold that make you a good fit for this role?
2. What are you most excited about in this new role? What are you most nervous about?
3. How would you define success in this role?
4. What are your work goals? 
5. Write about your “perfect work day”? What does it look and feel like?
6. List some action items you want to take regarding this new role.
7. How will you resolve any stress you experience regarding your job?
8. Envision what you think your first day will be like and write about it. Try to stay positive while doing so! 
9. What is something you are looking forward to after this work week?
10. What is one work habit you’d like to break? How will you break it?
11. What are the kindest things others have said about you in your previous roles? How did you feel after these things were shared?
12. What impact do you hope to make on others as you move forward in this new role?
13. What are some ways you can practice self-care and self-compassion today?
14. What items/tools do you need to feel most prepared for your first day? Some of my favorites are this planner, this laptop sleeve, and this book on staying calm at work.
15. What kind of support do you need from your boss to be an effective employee? How can you ask for that?
16. Is there anything your loved ones can say or do to help you feel calmer before your first day?
17. What sort of affirmations or helpful self-talk can you say to yourself during the day?

Feeling better? Take some time to think about your responses and encourage yourself to reconstruct negative thought patterns. You can even de-stress more by reading confidence-boosting books, like this one. Remember, you were hired for a reason. Put your best foot forward and do your best. You got this! 

To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact me or schedule your free 15 minute consultation.

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Check out some of the items mentioned in the blog post above, along with a few extra goodies we think you’ll love!