Psychological insights for staying steady, adapting and moving forward in uncertain times
Career change can affect far more than our working lives. For professionals, managers and executives in mid-career, retrenchment, restructuring, stalled progression or an unexpected shift may disrupt established roles, responsibilities, future plans and a sense of professional identity. However, change is not always experienced as entirely difficult or negative. Even when unplanned, it can open new possibilities and evoke optimism, motivation, curiosity or excitement.
These hopeful feelings may coexist with apprehension, frustration, sadness or uncertainty. You may feel energised by a new direction while grieving what you are leaving behind, or excited about an opportunity while worrying about how it will unfold. It is often the combination of these different — and sometimes conflicting — emotions that makes career transitions complex to navigate.
Experiencing mixed emotions does not mean that you are indecisive, ungrateful or coping poorly. It is an understandable response to a significant change that may involve both opportunities and risks. Career resilience is not about suppressing discomfort or forcing yourself to remain positive. It is the capacity to adapt flexibly, draw on support and take manageable steps forward while allowing space for the full range of your emotional responses.
Resilience is a skill, not a personality type
Resilience is often mistaken for toughness or the ability to withstand pressure without being affected. From a psychological perspective, however, resilience is better understood as a set of skills, habits and supportive resources that can be developed and strengthened over time. It may involve adjusting your expectations, recovering from a difficult period, reaching out for help or changing direction when a previous approach is no longer effective.
Resilience may involve:
· Recognising that a situation is difficult without judging yourself for finding it hard
· Adapting your approach as circumstances change
· Drawing on support rather than carrying everything alone
· Taking the next helpful step, even before you feel fully confident
Try this: Ask yourself, “What is one part of this situation that I can influence this week?” Choose one action that you can manage.
Keep in mind: Your worth is larger than your job title, performance or current employment status.
When uncertainty activates stress
Job uncertainty can activate the mind and body's threat response. You may notice racing thoughts, irritability, disrupted sleep, physical tension, difficulty concentrating or a persistent urge to check messages and anticipate every possible outcome. These reactions are not a character flaw. They are signs that your system is trying to respond to something important and uncertain.
A few stabilising routines can reduce the amount of uncertainty your nervous system has to manage:
· Maintain basic routines for sleep, meals, movement and social connection.
· Choose specific times to check job-related messages or news.
· Separate what is known, what you fear, and what can be clarified.
· Focus on the next decision rather than trying to plan for every possible outcome.
60-second reset: Slow down your breathing, and take some time to have a comforting drink.
Making sense of mixed emotions during change
Career transitions rarely produce only one emotional response. A change may involve real losses - such as income, status, routine, professional community, future plans or a familiar sense of identity - while also opening space for growth, relief, renewed purpose or new possibilities.
You may therefore experience sadness and optimism, apprehension and excitement, or grief and motivation at the same time. These emotions can appear contradictory, but they do not cancel one another out. Each may reflect a different part of what the change means to you: what you value from the past, what feels uncertain in the present and what you hope may become possible in the future.
Reactions may also shift from one day to another and do not follow a fixed sequence or timeline. Acknowledging both the difficult and hopeful aspects of the transition can help you understand why it feels significant and what you may need in order to adapt.
Pause and reflect
· What did my career provide me beyond a salary?
· What am I most afraid of losing?
· Which strengths, relationships and values remain mine?
· What might I want the next chapter to contain?
Try this: Complete the sentence: “This change feels significant because it affects ______.” Naming what is changing can make it easier to identify what you want to preserve, explore or seek support with.
Make room for conflicting emotions: “A part of this change that I feel apprehensive about is __________ and a part of the change I feel hopeful or curious about is ________.”
Staying steady under pressure
Emotional regulation does not mean eliminating stress. It means helping your body and mind settle enough for you to think, choose and respond calmly.
When your body is activated: Slow down your breathing, stretch, take a brief walk and orient yourself to what you see and hear around you.
When thoughts are spiraling out of control: Ask yourself “What are the facts? What am I predicting is going to happen? Is there another plausible outcome?”
When decision feels overwhelming: Ask “What matters most here? Which option is most consistent with my priorities and responsibilities?”
When demands are too high: Set a limit, renegotiate a deadline, protect recovery time or decide what can wait.
A more realistic reframe: Instead of telling yourself that everything will be fine, try “I may not know the outcome yet, but I can decide how to respond to the next step.”
Rebuilding confidence after a setback
A career setback can leave even experienced professionals feeling as though they are starting again. However, a change in role or direction does not erase what you have built. Your technical knowledge, professional judgement, relationships, lived experience and ability to navigate previous challenges remain valuable and transferable.
Your strengths at mid-career also extend beyond role-specific expertise. They may include managing stakeholders, mentoring others, understanding complex systems, making decisions under pressure and balancing competing priorities. Some of these strengths may feel so familiar that they are easy to overlook, yet they can be highly relevant in a new role or industry.
You do not need to feel fully confident before taking action. Confidence often develops through action, as small and repeated steps provide evidence that you can adapt and move forward.
Begin by choosing one:
· Write down one achievement and the strengths it demonstrates.
· Update one section of your resume or professional profile.
· Contact one trusted former colleague or professional connection.
· Explore one role, industry or course without committing to it.
· Ask someone who knows your work, “What strengths do you see me bringing to a new setting?”
Reflection prompt: Which parts of your experience remain valuable, even if your next role looks different?
Talking to the people around you
Career uncertainty often affects the wider household, not only the person experiencing the transition. However, it can be difficult to talk about because of embarrassment, fear of worrying others or a desire to protect loved ones.
Sharing what you are experiencing — at a pace that feels manageable — can reduce the sense of carrying it alone and help others understand how best to support you. You do not need to have a complete plan or all the answers before starting the conversation.
It can help to say clearly what kind of support you need:
· Listening: “I need to talk this through before we look for solutions.”
· Reassurance: “I am feeling discouraged and could use some encouragement.”
· Practical help: “Can we review our options or finances together?”
· Space: “I need some time to think. Can we return to this tomorrow?”
Knowing when to seek professional support
Self-help strategies can be helpful, but there may be times when additional support would make things feel more manageable. It is common to wonder whether your concerns are “serious enough” to speak with someone. You do not need to wait until you are in crisis — seeking support is not a failure of resilience, but one way of strengthening it.
Consider speaking with a professional if:
· distress persists, becomes more intense or remains present even during calmer periods;
· sleep, concentration, work, relationships or daily functioning are noticeably affected;
· you are finding it increasingly difficult to cope or are experiencing feelings of hopelessness; or
· you experience thoughts of harming yourself.
A GP, psychologist, counsellor or Employee Assistance Programme can help you better understand yourself, recognise your patterns of responding to stress, strengthen your coping strategies and consider what support may be helpful. An initial conversation can simply be an opportunity to ask questions, gain a clearer understanding of what you are experiencing and explore your options; it does not mean that you must commit to ongoing therapy.
Support in Singapore:
Contact National Mindline 1771 (WhatsApp 6669 1771),
Samaritans of Singapore 1767 (WhatsApp 9151 1767)
If there is immediate danger, call 995 or visit the nearest A&E.
Moving forward, one workable step at a time
You cannot always control restructuring, hiring decisions, economic conditions or how quickly clarity arrives. You can, however, strengthen the way you respond: by making room for your reactions, protecting your basic well-being, reconnecting with your strengths, drawing on support and choosing the next manageable action.
Career resilience is not a single breakthrough. It is built through small, repeated decisions that help you remain connected to what matters while adapting to what has changed.
Final prompt: What is one small step you can take in the next 24 hours that would help you feel slightly more supported, informed or in control?
Article contributors: TPP Interns Nicole Lim and Sherwin Sim