Deal with stress due to a feeling of insecurity

This type of stress due to a feeling of insecurity can emerge in people in environments of crisis, high unemployment rates and precarious employment offers. As with other types of stress, it will depend on our character, education and experiences, how prone we are to suffer from it.

What is stress due to a feeling of insecurity

This kind of stress can appear when you are worried about losing your job or about a change to a position you consider worse. You may also suffer stress due to a lack of security if you have a hard time making ends meet with your pay or if you have lost your job and have difficulty finding a another one. Or as well if you have a hard time joining the workforce after finishing your studies.

Who is more prone to suffer from it

Well, I would say that stress due to a sense of lack of security affects rather people who have lived times when one stayed at the same company, if not for the entire work life, at least for many years. Also people in professions not having the same opportunities as before.

On the other hand, there also may be young people who finish their studies and look for the first job opportunities, just to encounter job offers requiring experience they have not been able to gather yet. Or only offers for internships and practical trainings with a pay making it impossible to stand on their own feet.

Symptoms of stress due to a lack of security

You feel worried or overwhelmed. You might not see a solution to your problems and feel trapped in a vicious circle. This may lead to feeling pessimistic and doubting one’s own worth, thus negatively affecting self-confidence. If symptoms worsen one may suffer from anxiety, confusion, irritability and even depression.

How to deal with stress due to a feeling of insecurity

I think the worst you can do in this case is to behave like a mere spectator of your life. In addition to general stress-relief techniques, taking the reins of your life will make you feel better and increase your self-esteem. Also you will manage to deal better with the situation if you change your attitude and even take on a more positive vision.

Acceptance

If you fear that you might lose your job, first try to accept that nowadays safe jobs, which are for your entire life, do not exist anymore. So you better be prepared for the change of jobs if and when the moment arrives.

Everything in life evolves and changes, and nothing lasts forever. Plus those changes do not have to be for the worse. Therefore, it is better to see changes as opportunities instead of threats.

If you are on the side of those looking for a job, accept that the job market has become more complicated. But getting stressed by this fact will not help you find a job faster.

So in the first place learn to live with the uncertainty of what may happen in the future. Human beings are the only animals able to make future projections. But when those imaginations turn into worries and anxiety they adversely affect your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Assess your situation and draw up a plan

Assess your situation

In second place take time for a self-analysis. This is something few of us take time for. But it will help you become clearer about where you stand and what your priorities are.

1. Identify your values

Think about the things you are most proud of in your life; the instants when you have felt happiest; and the moments when you felt able to take on the world. Reflect on what these things might have in common in order to identify your values and what is most important to you. We are surrounded by assumed values of wealth, fame and power. But think about what you really value most in your life to be happy.

2. Identify your needs

Some useful food for thought in order to take off pressure can also be reflecting about which are your minimum needs. Calculate which is the minimum amount you need to earn in order to cover your basic needs like housing, food and clothing. Identify which could be optional expenses (going to the cinema, eating out, playing the lottery etc.). Even think whether you own things you do not use anymore. Could it be a good idea to sell them? Further to bringing in some extra cash, believe it or not, it takes a load of our minds to get rid of useless possessions.

3. Analyse your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Have you heard about the SWOT analysis? It is usually applied in business to assess the viability of projects and products for example. But we may perfectly apply it to ourselves.

So the next step is to take stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Think about your character traits, competences, training, knowledge, skills and experience, or lack thereof. Then reflect upon exterior opportunities and threats. Which opportunities for work, collaboration, volunteering etc. could there be? Which network of contacts could you use who might be able to help you? What are the possible threats? High competition for your profile, better qualified competitors, low salary etc.

Prepare an action plan

The previous self-analysis may have given you hints on how to enhance your situation. You might have come up with ideas to improve your current job situation or your job search. Or maybe you have realised that you should gain or strengthen certain skills and knowledge. You might even consider a change of profession.

Reviewing your needs and finances, you also might have identified superfluous expenses you can do without in order to make ends meet more easily.

There are many options and they depend on your values, priorities and situation. But how many of us do actually take time to seriously reflect upon their situation and prepare an action plan to improve it?

Work on your personal brand

Creating and developing your personal brand, same as companies do with their trademarks, consists in differentiating yourself and creating successful professional and personal relationships.

Therefore it is important to get to know oneself first, which we have done with the self-analysis. You should also take into consideration the image you project to others, both in person and on social media.

Hence it is key to work on making a competent impression which inspires confidence.

Both the points we have seen previously about self-analysis and those we will look into next will help you strengthen your personal brand and differentiate yourself.

Take action

Prove your worth

Do your best in order to show your worth. Be it at work, practical training, volunteering or helping out friends or acquaintances.

Sadly, I have encountered people stressed and demotivated by a sense of insecurity who have let themselves be taken in by negative feelings, thus undermining their job performance, instead of trying to work better. If you do your job the best you can, you might reduce the possibilities of being laid off, your contract not being renewed or not being hired after the practical training.

And even if that was not the case, at least you will leave feeling more self-assured. You will leave confident that you have done all you could and that you have added value in your job. Which consequently will help you in job interviews and maybe to obtain a good and sincere recommendation from your previous employer.

Take care of your self-esteem

Believe in your self-worth. With the self-analysis you will have discovered your strengths and opportunities. So love, value and respect yourself!

Now your action plan may include knowledge and skills you want to acquire or things you want to try and had so far put off. Continued learning helps you not to stagnate, which in a constantly evolving world means falling behind. As well as acquiring knowledge, it will serve you to continue growing as a person, and thus be more convinced of your worth and strengthen your self-confidence.

Also remember that we are not alone in this world. So surround yourself with people who appreciate you, help you grow and support you.

A good self-esteem will help you not see the world as gloomy and instead look for opportunities.

Ask for more responsibilities

Assuming that you have work, if possible, ask for more responsibilities. Show your interest for adding value in your job. Could you take on additional responsibilities? Is there a possibility of getting involved in an interesting project which allows you to learn new things? Could you give a hand to colleagues with anything?

Take the initiative

Be proactive solving problems and getting things done. Is there anything to be improved but nobody does it? Take the initiative of suggesting improvements or of solving the problem. There are many options: improving a workflow or procedure; cost or time savings for the company; a way of facilitating or speeding up work for colleagues for example.

Don’t stop learning

To continue learning will increase your self-confidence. If it is your unfinished business to improve your presence on social media like LinkedIn in order to enhance your personal brand and grow your network of contacts, then include it in your learning plan.

If you do not feel comfortable in networking meetings, this could be another subject to add to your list. Look for information on how to get prepared for these meetings, how to behave and how to get most out of them.

Recycle and broaden the knowledge and skills related to your profession or the work you would like to have. Even learn new things you have always wanted to do, although they might not be directly related to your work. It will help you improve your CV and feel more valuable and confident.

Keep your CV up-to-date and move around the internet

Whether you are actively looking for a job or not, it is important to keep you CV up-to-date, both the actual file and your profile on sites like LinkedIn. If you want to search more actively, also register on the appropriate job portals and with recruitment agencies or companies you are interested in. As well have a look at the offers out there.

If your fear of losing your job is justified or you feel underpaid, why not start looking for new opportunities? LinkedIn might be useful but it will not work overnight. It requires perseverance to create a good image and become visible.

Additionally keep your eyes and ears open in case friends or acquaintances mention an interesting opportunity. Also it might be a good idea to join networking meetings in order to grow your circle of contacts. You never know where an opportunity might come from. And looking for a job is a job. So is finding out about opportunities.

Have you suffered or are you suffering from this type of stress?

How did you deal with the stress due to a feeling of insecurity? If you are in this situation currently or know anybody who is, do you think these tips may help?

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