ADAA Member Shane Owens is an award-winning, board-certified behavioral and cognitive psychologist. Dr. Owens specializes in treating young adults and parents with anxiety problems, anger issues, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is the Assistant Director of Campus Mental Health Services at Farmingdale State College, a campus of the State University of New York.
Article4 min read
The Ultimate First Job Survival Guide to Protect Your Mental Health
- Shane Owens PhD ABPP
- Oct 1, 2025
- 4
Landing a new job you worked hard for is equally exciting and nerve-wracking. As your first day approaches, worries about making mistakes, fitting in with coworkers, and being good at your job might be bouncing around in your mind. This practical first job survival guide will help you manage your mental health from day one.
How to Survive Your First Day at a New Job
| 1-2 weeks before | Start adapting to your new job’s schedule. This will give your body and mind time to adjust to the changes in bedtime, mealtimes, and waking up early. |
| The night before | Get everything ready for your first day. Pack your bag, decide what you’re going to wear, make sure your alarm is set, and head to bed early. Improve your quality of sleep by avoiding alcohol and shutting screens off in the evening. |
| Before heading to work | Resist the urge to snooze your alarm so you’ll have time to get ready without feeling rushed. Leave early enough to account for unforeseeable delays like traffic, getting lost, or needing a few minutes to de-stress before you head in. |
| When you arrive | Smile and introduce yourself to your new boss and coworkers. As you begin your first tasks, try to take as many notes as you can. Not only does it make a good first impression by showing you’re engaged, it also ensures you won’t forget too much as your mind processes the information overload. |
| At lunch | If someone invites you to lunch, say yes! Making connections helps form a support system that will become vital as you face your first challenges. |
| In the afternoon | Drink plenty of water to fight off fatigue as the day goes on. If you run out of things to do, ask to shadow someone or walk around and learn the layout of the office. |
| Before leaving | Write yourself a quick to-do list for the next day with things to follow up on. Take time to say goodbye to new acquaintances and thank anyone who helped you on your first day. |
| After you get home | Take time to reflect on the day and write down any noteworthy thoughts that come to mind. Set everything out for the next day to start making it a healthy habit. |
Tip sheet:
10 Essential First Job Survival Skills
- Achieve work-life harmony. Make to-do lists and prioritize your work accordingly.
- Stay organized. Keeping your physical desk and virtual desktop tidy saves you time in the long run and may prevent a crisis later.
- Communicate effectively. If you’re feeling overloaded, speak up calmly and confidently. Your boss might not realize how much is on your plate, and a good boss will respect you for letting them know.
- Take breaks. When work stress feels overwhelming, a short walk or a few minutes of deep breathing does wonders.
- Set boundaries. Try not to bring work home with you. Avoid checking emails after hours to set an expectation with others that you’ll get back to them in the morning.
- Form healthy habits early. Eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and limiting caffeine and alcohol are easier habits to adopt when you start them on day one.
- Find trusted allies. Opening up to a coworker you trust can help ease anxiety in times of stress.
- Avoid workplace negativity. Office gossip might feel fun in the moment, but it creates a toxic environment and can create much bigger problems later.
- Celebrate your wins. Take a moment to recognize and appreciate accomplishments throughout the day. It’ll help you build confidence to fall back on when things feel uncertain.
- Seek proactive mental health care. If anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns have affected you in the past, consider working with a therapist preventively.
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