As everyone in our Uptree family can tell you, being part of a new community or environment is not always easy. In fact, it can be very daunting. This week’s #WorkplaceWednesday post was on tips to thrive (not just survive) in a new environment. Whether that be a new job, a new school, or even a temporary new community like a networking event, these tips are a push in the right direction. No matter where you come from or what you’ve done (or not done), you have something you are bringing to the table. Know and take confidence in that as you begin to navigate your new environment.
- Plan ahead but be flexible.
Although “winging it” works for some people, it never hurts to plan ahead. Especially if you have just moved to a new environment physically, like moving to a new city or moving from school to university. Plan your time, organise your schedule, put aside days to do certain things so you aren’t overwhelmed by everything last-minute. That being said, stay flexible as well. Despite planning ahead and organising your time, don’t forget you can’t plan for everything. Sometimes things you plan for don’t work out or new opportunities pop up and you need to be flexible and able to change accordingly. Adapting to a new environment is very important, but don’t forget to stay true to yourself.
2. Get plugged in.
If you’re in a new community or a new environment, chances are you know very few people. Do something to get plugged in! At university? Join a society. At a job? Join colleagues for lunch or join a team activity. It can be daunting to join in and put yourself out there, but if you don’t, you’ll be standing at the sidelines.
3. Find an outlet to process.
When you are thrown into a new situation, your brain is constantly moving and working. You’re probably overwhelmed with new people, new places, new situations, and you’re reacting to the here and the now. But don’t forget to reflect and process at the end of the day! New environments are hard even at the best of times, and there is no shame in needing a way to process events or things that happened to understand and evaluate how you are doing and how you feel. Your feelings and emotions are important, and your mental and physical well-being are too. So let yourself breathe and process things properly. This can be in the form of meditation, journaling, talking to a trusted friend, or just setting aside time in your day to think about everything. If you don’t give yourself the space to think, you’ll burn out without realising it.
4. Take care of yourself.
Just as the previous point emphasised, don’t forget to take care of yourself. It is easy to get swept up in the new and exciting things around you and to forget to take time for yourself. Even if you don’t feel like you need some time alone, try to plan or set aside some time for it anyway. It is all too easy, especially in new situations, to overexert yourself or burn out without realising it. Whatever you need or whatever this looks like, put yourself first and do something for yourself. If you need a nice chilled night at home, or a nice book to read, or meditation, or just having a lie-in, do it!
5. Give yourself time and grace.
Finally, and possibly most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself time and grace. You are not going to click with everyone immediately, or be able to do and be everywhere you want to be. You will probably mess up, make mistakes, or experience failure in some way. Don’t be too hard on yourself. It takes time to adapt, and it takes patience. You can’t expect yourself to be perfect right away, so don’t! Give yourself grace and treat yourself with kindness, focusing on the bigger picture.
Let us know if any of these tips helped you, or if you have any not listed here that really helped you thrive in a new environment! Contact us on Instagram or LinkedIn, email us at info@uptree.co or comment below to let us know.
If you or your company are interested in being involved in connecting young people to professional experience, please contact us via LinkedIn or email us at info@uptree.co!
