You were so proud to begin your grad program - full of hope and determination. But as time has gone on, it has been a lot harder on you than what you expected. You’re so tired. You are constantly working (and overworking yourself). You push yourself hard to be your best. You skip lunch, stay up late or wake up early to get everything done. You’re skipping fun events or activities with friends. Forget about going to the gym or doing something special for yourself. You’ve been working yourself to the bone. You have no energy. And it’s starting to take a toll. You feel like a shell of the person you used to be.

You’ve arrived and have officially begun your career after years spent in education. Making the transition from academia to being full-time in the workforce has been harder than you expected. It should be exciting but the feelings of uncertainty have hit hard. You feel unprepared and concerned that you have gaps in your knowledge. Maybe you have more “book smarts” than practical experience. You’ve been questioning yourself and your abilities in this new space. You’ve got a heavy workload and a big influx of stress. There’s also a whole new ecosystem and culture in your workplace. You’ve been trying to figure out where you belong and navigate dynamics with co-workers. Add to that a supervisor who is busy and unable to give you all the support and feedback that you want. You’re constantly asking yourself, “Am I doing a good job?” It’s really stressful not to know for sure.

You’ve found your footing in your career and industry. You’re really proud of how far you’ve come and what you’ve accomplished. You’ve gotten recognition and you know you’re appreciated for what you have to offer. Now you’re taking your career to the next level: Going for a promotion, leading a new project or leading a team of people, instead of just being responsible for your own work. You’re surprised by how much this change is impacting you. Suddenly you are unsure of yourself and doubting your abilities. You’re learning new things and developing a new skill set. It’s confusing and you don’t feel as solid or successful as you used to - even though nothing about you has actually changed. You’re on a new growth curve and it’s harder than you expected it would be.