Anxiety in Your First Years of Work

A Steep Learning Curve

School usually offers clear grades and deadlines. Work can feel vague by comparison: feedback is irregular, expectations shift, and it is hard to know how you are doing. That uncertainty gives anxiety plenty of room. Naming the specific situations that trouble you, such as speaking in meetings or asking questions, gives therapy a practical focus instead of a general sense of falling behind. It also helps separate a hard job from a hard moment.

Imposter Thoughts

Many people early in their careers carry the thought that they were hired by mistake and will soon be found out. CBT treats that thought as something to examine rather than accept. What evidence supports it? What evidence does not? How would you view a coworker in the same position? The aim is a fair assessment that lets you keep learning without constant alarm. Being new means not knowing everything, and that is expected.

Overworking as a Coping Strategy

Anxiety can push people to answer messages late at night, stay online long after hours, or say yes to every request. These habits can feel protective, yet they may increase exhaustion and keep the fear of disappointing others in place. Therapy can help you experiment with reasonable limits and observe what actually happens at work when you set them. Limits can be small, like logging off at a set time two evenings a week.

Feedback and Difficult Conversations

Receiving feedback, asking for clarification, or raising a concern with a manager can feel risky when you are new. CBT can help you prepare for these conversations, practice wording, and look at the predictions that make them feel dangerous. Afterward, you can review what happened compared with what you expected and use that information next time. Practice in session can make the real conversation feel more familiar and less like a test you have to pass.

Support Around Your Schedule

Marie works with young adults and adults throughout Oregon. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a workday, and you can ask about current Portland office availability. Individual sessions are 50 minutes at $200, private pay. A free 15-minute consultation is available to talk about fit. You might bring a short list of the work situations that feel hardest, such as meetings, deadlines, or feedback, so the conversation can focus on your actual week.

Questions You May Have