(dramatic music)
(alarm beeping)
- If anyone can relate to first-day jitters, it's me.
I mean, over the last decade I've had first days on jobs,
first days in the classroom, first days in the hospital,
first days in different rotations.
The most important thing I have to tell you
about this form of anxiety, it's normal
and not only is it normal, it's necessary.
I'm going to lay out six steps for you
to manage these first-day jitters,
but first let's get a grasp on what anxiety truly is.
To put it simply anxiety is your body's natural response
to anything that's stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar.
Some people may experience physical symptoms
like extra sweating, rapid heartbeat, or a sense of doom.
All your body's doing is telling you
to prepare for the unexpected.
It allows you to stay more aware and alert.
It's exactly this type of anxiety
that allowed us as humans to survive and thrive.
When the caveman heard a noise
from a lion or a bear outside,
they got anxious and didn't go outside.
It's really allowed you to be here today.
Assemble your squad, meaning
that you should never worry alone.
The more time you spend worrying alone,
the more that the problem will seem insurmountable.
It's important to voice your anxieties
to your friends and family members.
When you do that it prevents you from getting stuck
in your own head, allows you to find simple solutions
to your problems, and allows you to realize
that the problem is likely not as big as it seems.
If you're headed to a new school,
talk to someone that's an upperclassman.
They'll give you information that I promise you
you won't find in the student handbook.
Starting a new job?
Find someone that's been there for a while,
offer to buy them a cup of coffee,
offer to buy them breakfast,
really pick their brain on how they succeeded.
This may sound funny, but your parents
really have been there, done that,
and odds are they know your personality best,
so lean on them for some information
and a confidence boost because, you know,
unconditional love and all.
Don't starve, don't stuff, and don't sit still.
Anxiety manifests itself very differently
for different people.
Some people binge eat,
some people don't eat anything when they're nervous.
Neither of those are good.
You should maintain a stable amount of food,
and it should be healthy food.
You want to avoid sugar highs,
you want to avoid caffeine highs.
Eat a healthy meal with complex carbs,
healthy fats, and that'll be sure to do the trick.
Get up off your butt and exercise.
When you're exercising, your brain
naturally gives off feel-good chemicals
known as endorphins.
These endorphins allow you to block anxiety
and feel really positive.
Win the game before it even starts.
A big part of first-day jitters is fear of the unknown
and wondering what's really going to happen,
but you can define your own success
and reduce some of the anxiety
by planning ahead and setting achievable goals.
When your brain is achieving goals
it naturally blocks anxiety,
and when you plan ahead, the unknown becomes not so scary.
So now you need to set some goals for yourself.
You might as well make them useful.
Create a shopping list and plan out
your lunches for the school week
or listen to a podcast that's related to your new job.
To further reduce your anxiety
with planning, use visualization.
Literally visualize success,
and I know that sounds like fluff
and some of you may disregard it, trust me.
Visualizing that first day will allow you
to get that advanced sense of familiarity
and allow you to think about things
you may not have even considered yet.
Close your eyes and go step by step
throughout your first day.
What time will you wake up?
What will you wear?
What time do you have to leave the house?
Are you taking the car, the train, or are you walking?
Who is in contact with you when you arrive?
How are you going to introduce yourself when you get there?
Imagining these steps lights up your brain
the same way as if you're experiencing them.
That's the power of visualization.
Go off the grid.
Once you've taken all of these steps
to get ready for your first day,
take a day for yourself.
Allow yourself to have some fun.
Go to an amusement park, go to a museum,
keep your mind occupied with something
that has nothing to do with your first day.
And if you don't have time
to do that before you start, that's cool, too.
Plan something on your first day off
or on your first weekend, and have some fun,
When your brain is having a good time and achieving goals,
your brain doesn't have the ability to be anxious.
It can't multitask and do both at the same time.
Let DJ Khaled tell you how great you are.
♪ We the best music ♪
- Music is a powerful tool.
It can help you wind up or wind down
depending on what mood you need to set.
What I like to do is to create playlists
for different occasions.
If I know I need something to cheer me up,
I have a playlist for it.
If I need something to wind down to go to sleep,
I have a playlist for it.
Create a playlist that you can call on when you need it.
♪ 'Cause I can't make you love me ♪
But there's a lot you can do to make people respect you.
♪ A little respect when you get home ♪
♪ Just a little bit ♪
- Respect isn't automatic or guaranteed, it's earned,
and it starts right there on your first day.
Take pride in your appearance.
Good hygiene and polished appearance do matter.
Introduce yourself often,
but introduce your personality slowly.
Listen more than you speak, no matter what.
Don't show up your coworkers or classmates
by coming in too early or overshadowing their abilities.
In medical school we call that gunning.
Treat every single person with
the same amount of interest, no matter their position.
Don't be afraid of failing.
Failure, followed by improvement, is a very admired trait.
(alarm beeping)
There you have it.
Six tips for you to manage your first-day anxiety.
Have a specific anxiety trigger?
Leave it down below in the comments,
and I'll be sure to help you out.
If you have a friend or family member
that suffers with anxiety, send this video.
It may help.
Most importantly, have a great first day.
Holy, dude, my vision got so bad.
That anxiety kept you alive
and kept your ancestors to make you.
That was weird.